Silence Has A Sound
by summerreader13
Summary: Something has happened to Beca. No one's seen or heard from her in days. Chloe decides to go to her room and find out what's going on. Can she help Beca, or will Beca push her away like she does everyone else? Bechloe romance is endgame. Rated T for cursing and heavy themes later on.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! After being on this site for years, I finally got around to writing my first ever fan fiction. I couldn't get this idea out of my head. This will probably be a two-shot, unless the writing fairies hit me with more inspiration. Hopefully, you guys like it!**

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_Knock Knock Knock. _

"Beca! It's Chloe! Open the door!" Beca sat cross-legged on her bed, contemplating her options. She could pretend that she wasn't home, but she considered the red head to be one of her closest friends and it felt wrong to ignore her.

The knocking became more frantic, and Chloe's voice rang out from the hallway once more, "Beca, please. No one's seen you in days. I know you're in there. Talk to me. _Please_." Beca winced at the worried tone. She could tell that her friend was near tears, and the mere thought of Chloe crying was enough to force her out of her bed. She crossed the room slowly and opened the door just as Chloe began to knock again.

"Beca, I - Oh!" Chloe couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her. Light from the hallway spilled into the pitch-black dorm room, illuminating Beca's small figure. She was pale, even more so than usual. Large, dark bags were present under her eyes, telling Chloe that she had had multiple sleepless nights. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, a contrast from her usual intricate hairstyles, and she was wearing baggy sweats that Chloe didn't even know that she owned, making her seem much smaller and skinnier than usual.

Beca had an unreadable expression on her face as she wordlessly stepped aside, allowing Chloe to enter the room. Chloe immediately walked towards the windows, hoping to pull up the shades and let some sunlight in, but Beca stopped her. "Wait." Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in days. She switched on a lamp sitting on her desk, filling the room with a light bright enough for them to see each other, but still keeping the room in moderate darkness. She then returned to her previous spot on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Chloe gently sat on the bed, facing Beca. Knowing that Beca wasn't going to offer up an explanation without prompting, Chloe spoke first. "Everyone has been super worried about you. You skipped Bellas practice and you haven't been answering your phone since Friday. It's like you dropped off of the face of the Earth or something." Her voice was gentle, but prodding.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you guys worry." Beca mumbled, looking down at her hands.

"You don't need to apologize, Becs. Just tell me what's going on. I've never seen you like this before. It's scaring me." The sincerity in Chloe's voice surprised Beca, and she looked up, making eye contact for the first time.

"I… I don't know if I can, Chloe." Chloe felt her heart break at the fear and vulnerability in her friend's eyes.

"Try?" Chloe pleaded. "I promise you, no matter what you say, I'm here for you. I won't judge you or run or do anything like that, okay? You don't need to be afraid." She gently took Beca's hands in her own and squeezed them lightly, trying to give her some comfort.

Beca swallowed nervously and slowly retracted her hands from Chloe's. The red head's face fell. _She's going to shut me out like she always does._ Her expression turned to one of confusion, though, when she saw Beca push up the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Chloe's eyes fell to the young girl's arms and she gasped audibly.

"Beca, what happened to your arms?! Who did this?" Chloe asked urgently, gently running her fingers across the dark bruises on Beca's pale wrists. The bruises looked like they were almost certainly caused by someone else's hands, and the thought of someone hurting Beca made anger build up inside of Chloe. No one was allowed to hurt the people she loved. Ever.

Beca's eyes filled with tears as she uttered one word, a name, making Chloe gasp for the third time that night.

"Jesse."

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**A/N: Dramatic, right? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Be honest, I can take it, haha. But, for real, I want to know if this is something people think I should continue. Review, favorite, follow, send me a message, whatever your method, just let me know your thoughts. Okay, I'll stop nervously rambling now. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow guys, thanks for the responses! I'm glad you are all enjoying it. One of the reviewers asked the time-line of the story, so just to clarify, this story takes place after the National competition (after Beca kisses Jesse) but before the end of the school year. It is assumed that Beca and Jesse have been dating since the competition. **

**Also, I'm gonna warn you that this is some talk about sexual abuse in this chapter. It is nothing graphic, and really more of a hint than anything else, but if this is something that may trigger you, then you should be aware of that.**

**Thanks, guys!  
**

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"_Beca, what happened to your arms?! Who did this?"_

"_Jesse."_

Chloe sat in stunned silence. She had a million questions running around her mind, but she didn't know which one to ask first. "How… What…" Chloe shook her head and gathered her thoughts. "Beca, are you hurt somewhere else? Do you need to, like, go to a hospital or something?" Though her curiosity was killing her, she knew she had make sure Beca wasn't seriously injured.

"No!" Beca answered quickly, alarmed at the thought of having to go to a hospital. Chloe raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "I swear, Chloe. I'm o-… I'm not hurt anywhere else." She had been about to say that she was okay, but she knew that was far from the truth. She was anything but okay right now.

"Okay. Good, that's good." Chloe thought carefully about what she should say next. "I… God, Beca. What happened? I thought everything was going well with Jesse, especially after you kissed him at Nationals. You guys seemed so happy together."

"We were happy, mostly at least. I liked him a lot."

"But?" Chloe pressed.

"After Nationals, things started moving really fast. Before I knew it, he was asking me to be his girlfriend and then he was telling me he loved me. If it were anyone else, I would've backed out, but Jesse was just so sweet and caring. He looked at me like I was the only girl in the world. No guy has ever made me feel special like that. So I stayed with him. I thought that, with time, things would get better, but they didn't. We started fighting a couple weeks ago. He would get mad because he felt like I wasn't opening up to him. He thought that I didn't trust him and wasn't invested in the relationship. I tried telling him that I just needed time, but he didn't get it." Beca paused, taking a deep breath. Chloe desperately wanted to pull her into a hug, but she saw the far-away look in Beca's eyes and knew that she needed to finish her story. She settled with taking her hands again, rubbing her thumbs along the back in in a comforting motion.

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." Chloe said softly and Beca sent her an appreciative look. She took a couple more deep breaths and then continued.

"We had a bad fight on Friday, and he walked out. After I calmed down, I went looking for him. I felt really bad about how we left things and I wanted to apologize. I found him at some Treble party. I could tell that he had been drinking, so I told him I'd talk to him tomorrow, but he insisted that we go somewhere private to talk now. He took me up to one of the rooms. I told him I was sorry and that I would try harder to trust him and stuff. He started kissing me and I asked him what he was doing. He said that if I wanted to prove that I trusted him, then I would have sex with him right then."

"What?!" Chloe exclaimed, unable to keep her anger under control. She immediately felt guilty when she saw Beca flinch. "I'm sorry, it just makes me so angry that he would pressure you into sex if you aren't ready."

"I told him to stop, but it was like he wasn't listening to me. He pushed me onto the bed and started to take off my shirt." Chloe's stomach dropped as she realized where this story was going. Beca began talking faster, getting caught up in the memories. "I tried to push him off me and that's when he grabbed my wrists. He kept telling me to relax, to enjoy it. He said that it was natural, that this is what boyfriends and girlfriends do. I didn't want to; I wanted him to stop. I swear I tried to fight him, Chloe. I tried so hard. But he didn't get off. He didn't…" Beca's voice trailed off as she began to sob, the reality of the situation hitting her hard. Within seconds, Chloe enveloped her in a hug, silent tears falling from her face as she watched her best friend break down.

Beca clung to Chloe like a lifeline, desperately gasping for the oxygen that refused to enter her lungs. Chloe recognized the beginnings of a panic attack. "Beca, I need you to focus on breathing, honey. There you go, just copy mine. Everything is going to be okay. You're safe with me, I promise you." Beca's breathing slowed down and her sobs began to subside. "That's it. In and out." Chloe rubbed the small girl's back soothingly, continuing to whisper reassurances in her ear.

When she finally quieted down, Chloe pulled back slightly so she could look Beca in the eyes. "Beca, I… I am so sorry that this happened to you. I wish I could've been there to protect you. No one should have to go through something like this, least of all you. I know that you've been dealing with this alone for days now, but I'm here now, okay? Please, let me help. You don't have to go through this alone." Chloe saw uncertainty and insecurity in Beca's eyes and she wanted to single-handedly strangle every single person who had caused that.

"I just… You're a senior and you've got so many things going on. I didn't want to burden you."

Chloe sighed and closed her eyes, pulling Beca into a hug once more. "You are never, and will never be, a burden to me, Beca Mitchell. I love you, and I want to be here for you, through the good and the bad, okay?"

Beca nodded and quietly mumbled, "I love you too, Chloe", into her shoulder. And, although she was still upset and scared and hurting, the strangest feeling of peace overcame Beca at that very moment because she knew, without a doubt, that she was safe as long as she was inside Chloe's arms. She found herself wishing that this moment would last forever, and that she could spend eternity inside this very embrace, protected from the world's troubles.

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**A/N: So I'm not sure what happens now. I could end it like this, I could continue. Thoughts? I will leave it as incomplete for now, and we'll see how this goes. Thank you all for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

The peaceful moment was interrupted by the low grumblings of Beca's stomach. Chloe giggled, "Sounds like someone's hungry. When was the last time you ate?"

"Umm… I'm not really sure. The past couple of days have been kind of a blur. I don't really feel like eating, though."

"Your stomach disagrees. You need to eat something, Beca."

Beca sighed, clearly unhappy with the prospect of moving from their comfortable position. She looked down at the clothing she had been wearing for the past three days and winced at the idea of having to change.

As if reading her mind, Chloe offered, "How about I go out and get us some sandwiches from that place down the street? I know it's your favorite deli here."

Beca visibly relaxed at the idea of not having to leave the room. "Yeah, okay."

"Okay!" Chloe got off the bed and grabbed her purse from where she placed it on Beca's desk. "I'll only be a couple minutes, okay? Will you be okay here alone?" Beca nodded. "Call me if you need me, okay?" Beca nodded again, and Chloe was suddenly unsure about leaving her in the room alone. She was back to looking like the scared, small girl that had opened the door.

"Hey…" She walked back towards the bed and rubbed Beca's arms. "It's okay, I'll be back before you know it. Lock the door behind me. You'll be safe, okay?" Beca took a deep breath and then nodded, looking slightly more confident. "Okay, I'll see you in a couple minutes then."

With that, Chloe opened the door and walked out into the hallway. She paused, waiting for the sound of the lock, before continuing down the hallway. When she stepped outside, she was surprised to see that the sky had darkened significantly. _Have I been here for that long? _Pulling out her phone, she winced when she saw that she had five missed calls from Aubrey, as well as a couple from the other girls. She had told them about her plans to check on Beca and had promised to call as soon as she knew Beca was okay. Not trusting her voice at the moment, she sent out a quick text to Aubrey. _**Beca's alive. Might be spending the night. Long story. **_

The response was immediate._**Is she okay? Chloe, what's going on? Everyone's at our apartment freaking out.**_

Chloe sighed, knowing that Beca would want this kept between the two of them at the moment. _**I can't explain right now. **_

_**Okay, well, take good care of her. Let her know that we're all here for her whenever she's ready.**_ Chloe smiled. As much as Aubrey claimed to dislike the "alt-girl", Chloe knew that she actually did care for her and would never want to see her hurt.

She quickly walked to the sandwich shop and ordered their sandwiches, not wanting to leave Beca alone for too long. She was just exiting the elevator in Beca's dorm building when she heard a voice that made her heart stop.

"Beca! Open the door! It's Jesse!" Without giving much thought to what she should do, Chloe rushed down the hallway towards Jesse.

"Jesse! What the hell are you doing here?" Jesse jumped, not hearing anyone walking towards him.

"Chloe! Jeez, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Chloe ignored him, though she mused that him having a heart attack wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. "I'm here to see Beca." Jesse said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What are you doing here?"

"Beca doesn't want to see you." Chloe avoided the question.

"Yeah, she's been avoiding me all weekend. I'm worried about her."

Chloe scoffed. "Right. You're worried. That's rich."

Jesse frowned. "I don't understand. Is something wrong?"

Chloe fought the urge to punch him in the face. "You can keep up this act of confusion all you want, you're still not going anywhere near Beca. I think it would be best if you left. Now."

"Now, wait a minute. You can't tell me to leave. I have every right to see _my _girlfriend." He turned toward the door, banging on it with his fist. "Beca, let me in!"

Chloe had had enough. She dropped the sandwiches on the ground, and used all her strength to push the tall boy against the wall. His eyes widened in surprise as Chloe stepped close to him. "Now, let's be clear about something, Jesse. You can play innocent, but I know what you did and who you are. If you so much as think about speaking to Beca without her okay, I swear to God I will fucking kick you so hard you won't even want to think about sex because it'll hurt too much. Do not test me, Swanson. Do you understand?" Jesse stared at Chloe, his mouth hanging open. He had never heard the bubbly red head sound anything but cheerful. "Hey, I know you have a thick skull, but I asked you a question. Do. You. Understand?" She emphasized each word venomously. Jesse wordlessly nodded. "Good. Now I suggest you get out of here before I change my mind and kick your ass now." She was pleased to see Jesse quickly turn and walk away, daring to throw one frightened look over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Taking a couple deep breaths to calm herself down, she picked up the sandwiches with shaking hands and lightly knocked on Beca's door. "Becs, it's Chloe. You can open up now. He's gone."

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**A/N: As always, thank you for reading and for all the wonderful reviews I've gotten so far. I have a feeling a lot of you will like bad-ass Chloe (I know I do) and will enjoy her, uh, "discussion" with Jesse. Keep the reviews coming and the suggestions as well. I'm kind of writing this story as it comes to me, so I love hearing what you guys want to happen. Thanks again and happy spring (even though it's snowing where I am)!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Beca?" Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the lock click open. She entered the room and, at the sight of Beca's tear-stained face, quickly engulfed her in a tight hug. She could feel the small girl trembling, and that only made her hold on tighter. "It's okay. You're safe. He's gone." Beca's body shook violently as sobs began ripping through her body. Chloe maneuvered them to the bed, lying down so that Beca was curled against her body. "Shh, I've got you now." Chloe gently ran her fingers through the brunette's hair, hoping it would calm her down. Sure enough, she felt the girl's body begin to relax and the sobs slowly quieted to the occasional sniffle. She waited patiently, knowing better than to force Beca into talking before she was ready.

"God, I must look like such a hot mess right now." Beca chuckled, wiping at her eyes.

"Stop it. You never look anything less than beautiful." Chloe smiled, gently wiping away a stray tear with her thumb.

Beca rolled her eyes. "Cheese level: pro. Good to know you're still on top of your game, Chlo." Chloe smiled, thrilled to see some of the old, sarcastic Beca coming back. They fell into a comfortable silence, neither really sure what to say next. Chloe bit her lip, knowing that she needed to ask Beca some necessary questions, but not wanting to ruin her lifted mood. "I can hear the hamster in your head running at a mile a minute, Chlo. It's okay, just ask. I'll do my best to not become a sobbing mess again." Beca attempted a joke, but it only resulted in a sad smile from Chloe.

"I… need to ask you some questions that might be… hard for you to answer." Chloe waited for a nod of approval from Beca before continuing. "I need to know if… Jesse used a condom." She said softly, feeling her friend tense in her arms.

"He… did not." Beca spoke so quietly that Chloe had to lean in to hear her. "I went to a pharmacy on Saturday morning and got Plan-B."

"Did you take it?" Beca nodded. "Okay, that's good. We also need to get you tested too, just in case, okay?" Chloe expected to meet some resistance, knowing that Beca hated going to the doctor. She was surprised when Beca merely nodded.

"It was my first time." Beca's voice was barely louder than a whisper. Chloe closed her eyes, feeling a surge of hatred for Jesse run through her body. "Chloe, what am I going to do? I know Jesse. He won't leave me alone unless I talk to him, but just hearing his voice today sent me into a panic. It was like I was right back in that moment and I just couldn't breathe or think or do anything. I was completely frozen. I couldn't even pick up the phone to call you. Nothing."

Chloe wasn't surprised, knowing that flashbacks were common amongst victims of sexual asault. _Victim_. Chloe winced at her own thoughts, never thinking she would be in a situation where she would call a close friend a victim. Pulling herself out of her own head, she realized Beca was still waiting on an answer. "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to Beca. You can press charges, get a restraining order and then he'll have to leave you alone."

"Press charges?" Beca squeaked, panic filling her body at the idea of going to authorities.

"Beca… you know what he did was wrong right? You told him to stop, and he didn't. That's rape." Beca flinched, and Chloe instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be harsh. It just… it kills me, what he did, and I want to see him punished for it."

"He's my boyfriend. Even if I did say something, no one would believe me. I have no proof that he caused these bruises. Why would anyone believe me over him?"

"I believe you." Chloe looked directly in Beca's eyes so that she could see the conviction in her eyes. "I would stand behind you 100% and I know that every one of the Bellas would too."

"Even the ice-queen?" Beca asked in mock disbelief.

"Yes, even Aubrey." Chloe chuckled. "I'll have you know that she told me to tell you that she's here for you. She's been really worried about you; all of us have."

"Hm, I'll believe it when I see it." Beca teased.

"For real, Becs. I can't even imagine how horrible this must be for you, but you aren't alone. We'll be there to support you every step of the way."

"I… that means a lot to me, Chloe. I just… I don't know if I can. I'm sorry."

Chloe could tell that Beca was terrified, and she knew that she wouldn't be getting anywhere with her tonight. "You don't need to apologize. It's your choice, and I'll support that no matter what." A silence fell over the two of them, and Beca yawned, the sleepless nights finally catching up to her. "You've had a long day. Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

"Will… will you stay with me? I… I've been having a lot of nightmares recently, and I don't want to wake up alone." Beca looked up at her, her eyes pleading.

"Of course." She shifted so that she could pull a blanket over the two of them. Beca rested her head on Chloe's shoulder, and the red head placed a light kiss on her forehead. "I'll be right here to fight the nightmares away." It was unbelievably corny, but Beca smiled regardless. Cheesy statements like those usually made her feel uncomfortable, and she was always the first to poke fun at them, but something about the way that Chloe said it made Beca's heart flutter in a way she couldn't understand. Though she could read Chloe like an open book, she was mystified by how easily Chloe had swept into her life, breaking down walls and ripping apart rules that Beca had set years ago. And the most insane part was that Beca, the expert at pushing people away when they got too close, didn't even care that it had happened. For the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't try to distance herself from her feelings, simply allowing herself to feel what she felt, wrapped in Chloe's warm embrace: safe and loved and relaxed. Negative thoughts at bay for the moment, Beca found herself to falling into the first dreamless sleep she's had in days.

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**A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Spring break is unfortunately over, and college life has started up again, so I don't have as much time to write. I'll do my best to keep up with it, though. Not a lot happened in this chapter, so I apologize. I realize that we've spent four chapters on one day, and it probably feels like the story isn't moving anywhere. I think we'll have more action and drama in the next one. As always, let me know what you guys think. I love reading all of your comments. You're all lovely people! Until next time :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The pair woke early the next morning to the sound of the door slamming shut. Startled, both girls jumped, Chloe's arms instinctively wrapping around Beca protectively. They both relaxed when they saw it was just Beca's roommate, Kimmy Jin. She threw them a disgusted look, before walking to the closet to unpack her bags.

"Good morning, Kimmy Jin!" Chloe always attempted to be friendly, even though she was usually met with silence. "Did you go home for the weekend?" She asked, not really expecting an answer, but figuring it was worth a shot anyway. Kimmy Jin grunted in response. "That's… nice!" Another grunt. "Okay, good talk, Kimmy Jin." Chloe shook her head, perplexed, before turning her attention to Beca. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Actually… I did. Minus the heart attack I just had, of course." Beca glared at her roommate.

Chloe glanced at her phone, checking the time and her messages. "Well, it's 6:30…"

Beca groaned and laid back down, shoving her face into a pillow. "Wayyy too early to be conscious." She mumbled.

Chloe chuckled. "Agreed. But, if you want, we can go out and grab breakfast before my 8am."

Beca opened one eye and peeked at Chloe's face, immediately regretting it. She could never say no to Chloe when she looked so damn hopeful. "Fine." She muttered. "I think I should take a quick shower first, though."

"Oh, totally. I didn't want to offend you, but you stink, Becs." Chloe laughed when Beca threw a pillow in her face. "Kidding! Kidding!"

"Yeah, whatever, Red. Do you want a change of clothes or are you gonna rock the 'walk of shame' look?" Beca looked pointedly at Chloe's disheveled appearance. Chloe agreed to a change of clothes, and Beca handed them to her before gathering her shower stuff. Chloe pretended not to notice the way Beca hesitated just before going out into the hallway, checking the peephole to see if there was anyone there. Things seemed so normal, what with their casual banter returning, that Chloe had almost forgotten why she had stayed the night in the first place. Almost. Chloe's phone was filled with unread messages from the Bellas asking about Beca's condition, and she briefly wondered what the hell she was going to tell them. She knew it wasn't her story to tell, but she didn't think it was fair to keep them in the dark. They cared about Beca too, and she could only imagine how worried she would be if she was in their place. Plus, Chloe had no idea how to handle this situation on her own. Last night had been easy, simply holding her while she cried, but now the full weight of the situation crashed down on Chloe's shoulders. She had dealt with bad break-ups before (Aubrey's love life was worse than a soap opera), but never anything to this extent. The pressure of doing the right thing was stifling, and Chloe was terrified that she would mess up.

Chloe halted her thoughts before they spun out of control, wanting to keep up a happy demeanor while she was with Beca. Throughout breakfast, Beca's eyes darted around, looking for the one familiar face she was terrified of seeing. Chloe desperately tried to distract her to no avail. "Beca, you can relax, okay? I've never once seen him come in here., and even if he does, I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you." She gently placed her hand on top of Beca's.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's stupid. I keep seeing him everywhere, in every guy that walks by."

Chloe squeezed her hand. "It's not stupid. You have every right to be scared. It'll pass." At least, she hoped it would.

"I know. I'll be okay." Chloe wondered who she was trying to reassure, Chloe or herself.

"So, I was thinking… Did you want to stay at my place for a bit? I know the situation with Jesse last night freaked you out, and I figured that you could lay low at my apartment for a couple of days, at least until you figure out what you want to do. I mean you don't have to if you don't want to. I was just thinking that you could… If you did want to. But-"

Beca cut off Chloe's rambling before it got out of hand. "What about Aubrey? Won't she be mad about you offering up your place without asking her?"

"She'll understand." Beca gave her a look, completely unconvinced. "Seriously! You overestimate how bitchy she is. She's actually a very nice person outside of practice."

"I'll believe that when Hell freezes over. Or maybe not, considering she's probably the one who froze it, what with her ice heart and everything."

"You're terrible." Chloe scolded.

"Okay, okay, too far. I'm sorry." Beca picked at her food, absentmindedly. "I think it's a good idea though. Your place." She clarified when Chloe shot her a confused look.

Chloe's face instantly brightened. "Okay! I'm in class until 4…" She paused, suddenly looking uncertain. "Is that okay? I can give you the key and you can go now if you want."

Beca understood the underlying question. _Will you be okay by yourself?_ She hated that Chloe was afraid to leave her alone, but, more than that, she hated the fact that she was actually petrified at the idea of being alone. "No, that's fine. I should probably go to class too. My dad gets suspicious when I miss too many."

"Are you sure? I'm sure your professors would understand if you e-mailed them saying you were sick." Honestly, Chloe was afraid that Jesse would try to track her down between classes, at a time when Chloe couldn't possibly be around to stop him.

"I'm sure. I'll be okay." Beca looked at the time. "You should probably leave for class. I'll walk you."

The walk was shorter than they hoped, and within minutes they were standing in front of Chloe's classroom. Neither of the girls wanted Chloe to leave, but they knew that she had to. Chloe gave her a long hug, whispering, "Call me if you need me, okay? I love you.", before disappearing into the room, leaving Beca feeling more alone than ever before.

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Surprisingly, Beca found her day to be better than expected. She had shockingly managed to avoid any familiar faces (she had no idea what she would say to any of the Bellas if she saw them) and had even found class to be a great distractor. She had never thought she would enjoy her philosophy class, but actually discovered it to be rather interesting once she paid attention. She was just on her way to her dorm to pack for Chloe's when a hand on her arm stopped her.

She spun quickly and nearly threw up at the face in front of her. "Beca, hey." Though Jesse's voice was soft and his grip loose, Beca felt panic bubble up inside her. Jesse seemed to sense her fear, and he released her arm, looking confused. Beca knew she should walk away, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. "Are you okay?" Jesse looked genuinely concerned. Beca didn't answer, not wanting to open her mouth for fear that she would pull an Aubrey and projectile vomit all over the place. "Okay… Look, it's obvious that you don't want to talk to me. I know you've been avoiding me. I just… I don't understand, Beca. Did I do something wrong?" Beca's brow furrowed in complete confusion.

"What?" She seemed to have found her voice.

"You got to help me out here, Beca. I know we had a fight and you were upset, but I didn't think it was bad enough for you to avoid me for three days. What's going on? Is this because I got drunk at the party afterwards? The Trebles told me they saw you talking to me at the party, but I don't remember any of it. I was totally wasted. Did I say something wrong?"

Beca's mouth fell open. _There was no way he couldn't remember what happened, right? He was drunk, but he wasn't _that_ drunk… Right?_ Beca couldn't help the doubt that was beginning to overcome her.

"If I said or did something wrong Beca, I am so sorry. I just… I was upset about our fight and I though alcohol would help and it clearly didn't. It was stupid. I should have just gone and talked to you. I love you, Beca, and I don't want to lose you."

Beca's mind raced. Jesse seemed so genuine, but she couldn't believe that he could just _forget_. She was more confused now than ever. "I… Jesse, I just need some time to think, okay?" Her voice sounded foreign to her, as if it were coming from someone else.

"Okay…" Jesse seemed uncertain. He placed a hand on her shoulder, brow furrowing when she flinched away from his touch. "I'm worried about you, Beca. You don't seem like yourself. Whatever's going on, you can talk to me. You know me, I would never hurt you."

Beca stared at him in disbelief, the sincerity in his words only causing more conflict in her already racing mind. "I need to go now." She managed to get out before quickly turning and walking away, leaving Jesse standing there in confusion.

"Please call me!" He shouted, but Beca ignored him and disappeared into the safety of her building. She quickly made her way up to her room and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was empty. Sitting down on her bed, she hugged a pillow to her chest, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Beca jumped when her phone went off, alerting her of a text from Chloe. **Coming over soon?**

She sighed; she was supposed to be staying at Chloe's to avoid seeing Jesse. _It's a bit late for that_, she mused. She knew that she should tell Chloe about what had just happened. Chloe would be able to help her sort out all of the confusing thoughts running through her mind. She hesitated though, unsure of how the red head would react. Her phone rang again, this time signaling a message from Jesse.

**Hey, I didn't mean to freak you out by ambushing you today. How about we get dinner later and talk about things? **

Beca groaned and put her face in her hands. Her instincts were screaming at her to stay away from Jesse, but she hoped that talking to him would help solve the battle going on in her brain. She briefly considered texting Chloe and asking her advice, but decided against it, knowing that the red head would be completely against the idea. _As she should be_. Logically, Beca knew that she should ignore Jesse, pack her bags, and go to Chloe's as soon as possible. She groaned again in frustration, going back and forth between the two texts.

Before she could second-guess her decision, she typed, "**Yeah, I'll be there",** and hit send.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh who do you think she sent the text to? What do you think of Jesse; is he telling the truth about not remembering? What's going to happen next? Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. You're all awesome :) Thanks for reading! Until next time! **


	6. Chapter 6

Beca knocked on the door in front of her, biting her lip nervously as she waited. She didn't have to wait long, but her anxiety only increased upon seeing the face on the other side. "Beca. Hi."

"Aubrey." Beca paused awkwardly, not really sure what to say. "Is Chloe home?"

'Yeah, sorry, come in." Aubrey stepped aside and motioned for Beca to enter her apartment. Beca shyly walked in, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "Chloe's in her room." Beca nodded and turned toward the red head's room. She stopped when she heard her name. "Beca? I need to talk to you about your… absence… from practice."

Beca sighed, expecting this conversation. "Look, I know that not showing up without letting you know was a dick thing to do and I'm sorry. I had a good reason, I swear, but I don't really want to get into it right now. I promise to give you notice next time."

Aubrey smiled. "That's not exactly what I wanted to talk about, but I appreciate that you'll let me know next time you need to miss a practice. I know that you must have had a good reason, so I'm not mad."

"You're not?!" Beca asked incredulously.

"No. Contrary to what you might think, my main purpose in life is not to yell at you. I simply care deeply about the Bellas and want us to succeed." Beca raised an eyebrow, but Aubrey continued, ignoring her look of disbelief. "I just wanted you to know that I don't just care about the Bellas as a group, but each of you individually also. As strange and infuriating as our relationship is, I consider you a friend and I would hope that you feel the same. You don't have to tell me what's going on, but just know that you have a lot of people around you who care. I know that we don't usually do feelings, but if you ever did need to talk, I'm here. Okay?" Aubrey looked Beca in the eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.

Beca nodded. "Yeah, thanks. That… means a lot." In all honesty, she was a little freaked out. She wasn't used to seeing Aubrey be so… nice. It was yet another reminder of how different her life had become in the span of a weekend.

"Okay, well, now that we got that out of the way, I should probably let you get to Chloe. If you guys need me, I'll be in my room, studying until forever." She sighed dramatically, before walking into her bedroom and closing the door.

Beca took a deep breath and walked to Chloe's closed bedroom door. She knocked quietly and waited until she heard Chloe's soft voice before she entered the brightly painted room. She couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of her. Chloe was sitting cross-legged on the bed, with at least a dozen DVD cases spread out around her. "Beca! You're just in time to help me pick out a movie to watch later tonight!" Beca groaned at the mention of watching movies. "Oh, come on, you liked the last one I had you watch."

"I told you I didn't hate it. That is not the same thing as liking it." Beca noted, dropping her bag in the corner of the room. She walked over to the bed, and looked at Chloe's choices. "_Breakfast At Tiffany's_. Really?!"

"What?! That's a great movie. It's one of my favorites." Chloe's eyes shone with excitement and Beca couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course it is. Well then, I _have _to watch it." Beca replied sarcastically.

"Good, then it's settled. _Breakfast At Tiffany's_ it is." Chloe cleaned up the rest of the DVDs, returning them to their place on the shelf. "How was your day?" Her voice was light, but Beca could tell that it was forced.

"It was… interesting." Chloe immediately picked up on the hesitation and sat down facing her.

"Did something happen?" She asked anxiously.

"Well, I found out that I liked Philosophy." Chloe looked at her expectantly, knowing she was hiding something. After a pause, Beca muttered, "And I ran into Jesse."

"What?" Chloe gasped, immediately concerned. Her eyes roamed Beca's body, looking for bruises and injuries. "Are you okay? Did he do something? I swear to God if he touched you I'll—"

"Woah, slow down there, Rambo. I'm okay. See?" Beca patted her body to prove her point. " He just wanted to talk."

"He doesn't get to talk to you after what he did. I explicitly told him to stay away from you and he didn't listen." Chloe felt her anger levels rising.

"He didn't – wait, you did what?"

Chloe froze, sensing anger in Beca's voice. "When he came by your room last night, I told him to stay away from you." She left out the part where she threatened him, deciding that it was more information than Beca needed to know.

"Why would you do that?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question, Beca? He hurt you, that's why. I was just trying to protect you." Chloe defended.

"I don't need you to protect me, Chloe. I can take care of myself." Chloe sighed, knowing how defensive Beca could get when her strength was questioned.

"I never said that you couldn't. I was just doing what any good friend would do, okay?"

"You know, I didn't ask for your help, Chloe, so don't feel like you have to perform the obligated friendly duties or whatever. You don't have to do anything here."

"What? No, that's not what I meant."

"That's what it fucking sounded like." Beca was pissed, though if she thought about it she didn't really know why. She didn't actually want to yell at her best friend, but it was as if her actions were out of her control, the words spilling from her mouth before she could stop them. "God, why did I even come here? I should have known that confiding in you would only make things worse." She avoided looking into Chloe's hurt eyes as she crossed the room to get her bag.

"Wait, Beca, where are you going?"

"To dinner. With Jesse." Beca responded angrily. "He wants to talk about what happened Friday night. He says he doesn't remember, and I think I believe him."

"Beca, stop! Think about this, okay? He's clearly lying! You can't trust him!" Chloe followed Beca as she stalked out of the bedroom and down the hallway. "Beca, please. Listen to me! Don't go see Jesse!" Chloe grabbed her arm in desperation.

"Let go of me!" Beca growled. Chloe loosened her grip and Beca pulled her arm away. "The last thing I need is you telling me what to do as if you know everything. Guess what, Chloe; You have no idea about what I'm feeling or what I need right now so stop acting like you do. It was nice of you to hang around last night, but I think I'm better off handling this on my own from now on. I'll see you around." Without another word, Beca marched out the front door, slamming it in the process. Chloe felt tears beginning to fill her eyes as she tried to figure out how things had gone so wrong in just a couple of minutes.

"Chloe? Is everything okay? I heard yelling and the door slamming." Aubrey emerged from her room, looking worried. Unable to form words, Chloe simply burst into tears. Aubrey immediately sprung forward and pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Did you guys have a fight?" She felt Chloe nod against her shoulder before a new set of sobs erupted from her body. "Hey, shhh; it's okay. I'm sure things will work out between you two. Maybe she just needs some space?" Aubrey tried, not really sure of the context of the argument.

Chloe shook her head miserably. "I just… this situation is so _fucked up_ and I don't know how to handle it and I don't think I can do this on my own and I'm worried and she _won't listen to me_!" Chloe's voice got increasingly louder as she got more emotional.

"Okay, breathe. Let's take this one step at a time. Maybe you can explain the situation without breaking Beca's trust, okay?" Chloe nodded, taking a couple deep breaths before speaking.

"Um, okay how do I start this? Beca… something happened to Beca. Well, someone hurt Beca and I'm worried that she's going to get… hurt again. We got into a fight because I tried to protect her… from being hurt again by the same person, but she saw it as me thinking that she couldn't take care of herself, which wasn't what it was!" Chloe said vaguely.

"Okay… Well, you know how Beca is. She's all about being independent and not needing anyone, and even though she's started leaning on people, I'm sure it's still something she's getting used to. She's probably just hurt and freaked out and she took it out on you, which is not okay, but she'll come back once she's had time to think and process."

Chloe nodded, feeling a little better. "You're probably right. I'm just afraid of her being alone right now."

Alarm bells went off in Aubrey's head. "Why are you afraid of her being alone? Chloe, if you think that she could hurt herself then we need to tell someone." The senior's voice took a serious tone.

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Chloe sighed, realizing that Aubrey wasn't going to let it go."It's not that I'm afraid of her being alone with herself, per se. I'm just scared of her being alone with someone else." Chloe still tried to stay as vague as possible, but the dots were beginning to connect in Aubrey's head.

"You're afraid of her being with Jesse." She looked into Chloe's eyes, receiving confirmation when Chloe quickly turned away. "Why?"

"I told you… He hurt her. And my gut is telling me not to trust him. I think he's manipulating her and I don't want her to get hurt again."

"Well, do you know where she went?"

"To dinner… with Jesse." Chloe suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. "Oh my God! She's with Jesse! I've been sitting here crying and she's with him! I'm so stupid!" Chloe jumped up and raced to her room, putting on her shoes with haste.

"I'm confused. What's happening right now?" Aubrey followed her around the apartment.

"I don't know, that's the problem! I have to find her! _Where_ is my jacket?!" Chloe frantically began looking under the couch.

"Chloe, you're already wearing it! Do you need me to come with you?" The question was really more of a formality than anything else, Aubrey deciding that she was going to follow the panicking red head regardless.

"Yeah, actually, I might need backup. We have to hurry! Come on!" Without another word, she pulled the blonde out of the apartment and down the street towards campus.

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**A/N: Oh no! What do you think Chloe and Aubrey are going to find? Or will they find her at all? For the record, I did not enjoy writing this chapter very much. Writing Chloe and Beca fighting makes my heart hurt. But no worries, Bechloe is end game! Hang in there! Thanks for the kind reviews, I truly do appreciate it!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe groaned in frustration as her and Aubrey exited yet another dining hall. Beca was nowhere to be found and Chloe was starting to seriously worry about her whereabouts. "Hey, I'm sure Beca's okay. Maybe she's in her room or something?" Aubrey attempted, and failed, to soothe the worried red head.

"You don't understand, Bree. Beca could be in trouble."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, beginning to get annoyed with the secrecy. "Well, maybe you can explain it to me, Chloe, because I'm starting to think that you're just seriously overreacting. We have no reason to believe that Jesse would hurt Beca. He's seemed like nothing but totally sweet, granted a little annoying at times, but still, I would never peg him as a bad one."

Chloe simply shot her a glare and shook her head. "Just because he seems like a nice guy doesn't mean he is one. Come on, we have one more left. They've got to be there." Chloe briskly started walking towards the last dining hall on campus, desperately hoping to find Beca there. She had already texted and called the short brunette, but was met with silence every time. Chloe had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she just knew that something wasn't right. The pair reached the dining hall, their eyes scanning the room for the familiar face. Chloe sighed miserably when she didn't see it. "I don't get it, Bree. She's not here."

Aubrey put a sympathetic hand on Chloe's shoulder. Despite her annoyance, she hated seeing her best friend upset. "Hey…" Aubrey's eyes lit up as she looked across the room. "Isn't that Benji, Jesse's roommate? Maybe he's seen them!" Without another word, Chloe took off, Aubrey following closely behind her.

"Benji! Have you seen Beca and Jesse?" Chloe arrived at his table, breathless.

"Uh, hi to you too, Chloe."

Chloe smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I just really need to find Beca. It's an emergency."

"Well, you're in luck. I just saw them maybe five minutes ago. Jesse was taking Beca up to our room as I was leaving for dinner." He frowned when he saw Chloe face turn pale. "Is everything –" He didn't even finishing asking the question before Chloe turned and raced out of the hall.

Aubrey called Chloe's name, alarmed, before turning to Benji and saying, "Sorry about her. Thanks for your help." With that, the tall blonde turned and ran after her friend. She caught up with her easily, a result of all the cardio work she had been doing lately. "Chloe, what the hell is going on? Where is the fire?"

"There's no time to explain! We have to get to that room." Chloe increased her speed, not slowing down until they were in Jesse's dorm building. "Crap, I don't know which room is his!"

"He's in 143." Aubrey said, simply. Chloe gave her a confused look. "I make it a habit to know where all the Treble's live, just in case." She explained as if it was completely normal.

"That's weird, Bree." Chloe didn't have time to waste scolding Aubrey, though, and she quickly walked down the hallway, stopping at the door marked '143'.

"Wait, Chloe, what exactly is the plan here?" In truth, Chloe hadn't really thought of a plan. She was so focused on the fact that Beca could be in danger that she hadn't really thought about what she would do once she found her. She shrugged and decided that she was just going to wing it.

Chloe knocked loudly on the door, simultaneously shouting, "Jesse, it's Chloe. Open up." She heard shuffling and muffled talking before an angry Jesse opened the door.

"Chloe? Aubrey?" Chloe took one look at Jesse's shirtless appearance, and pushed her way into the room, not waiting for an invitation. She internally sighed in relief when she found Beca sitting on the bed, fully clothed. However, Chloe could tell by her body language that she was freaked out.

"I wanted to make sure that Beca's okay." She was looking at Beca as she said this, silently asking her the question.

"Beca's fine!" Jesse exclaimed.

Chloe's eyes didn't leave Beca's as she waited for a response. "Chloe, I'm fine." Beca replied in a quiet voice. Chloe could immediately tell that she was lying.

"See, Chloe, she's fine. Can you kindly get out of my room now? You were kind of interrupting something." Jesse expectantly held the door open.

"Beca?" Beca simply dropped her gaze as Chloe spoke to her. Chloe felt her blood boil at the terrified expression on Beca's face. "What did you do?" Chloe rounded on Jesse, anger filling her veins.

"Are you insane?! Are you on drugs or something?! _She said she's fine_!" Jesse yelled, no longer attempting to be polite. "Now I want you to get the hell out of _my_ room!"

"Chloe. It's okay, really. Just go." Beca spoke up. Her voice was completely void of emotion, and Chloe knew that something was most definitely up.

"No. I am not leaving you alone with _him_." Chloe spat out the last word as if it were venom. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"She's not going anywhere! _I'm _her boyfriend and she's staying here." Beca sat silently, glancing between the two in alarm.

"Chlo… If she doesn't want to go…" Aubrey spoke, having been watching the scene unfold from the doorway.

"No, I know that you don't want to be here, Becs. _Come on_!" Chloe was desperate now, pleading with Beca to listen to her.

Beca took one look at Jesse and lowered her gaze, muttering, "Jesse's right. You should go, Chloe." Jesse smiled triumphantly, motioning for Chloe to leave with his right arm.

"Beca, he raped you!" The words came spilling out of Chloe's mouth before she could even stop to think about the repercussions they would have. Chloe's hand flew up to her mouth, a stagnant silence falling over the shocked occupants of the room.

"What did you just say?" Jesse broke the silence, looking intensely at Chloe. "Did you just say that I _raped_ her? That is complete bullshit!" Chloe said nothing in return, only turning to look at Beca. She couldn't help but feel guilty at the betrayed expression on the brunette's face. "I would _never_ do that to Beca or to anyone else, for that matter! How dare you accuse me of that?! Beca, back me up here!"

Everyone's eyes were on Beca now and she froze under the sudden spotlight. "I…" She stuttered, not sure what to say.

"Beca… You know me. I would never hurt you. I love you. You believe that, don't you?" His voice was pleading and desperate, and even Chloe doubted her own words for a moment. The feeling lasted for just a second, though, as her anger returned when she saw Jesse getting closer to the bed.

"Beca, you can't trust him. He's lying. You told me what happened. You know that it wasn't right!"

Beca looked at both of the faces in front of her, seeing nothing but love in both of their features. Her gut was screaming at her to go with Chloe, to not trust Jesse, but her brain reasoned that maybe things didn't happen like she thought they did. Her boyfriend had been so sweet during dinner, even bringing her a huge bouquet of her favorite flowers for no reason but to see her smile. When she looked into his eyes, she saw the Jesse she had come to know and love, not the stranger from Friday night that plagued her nightmares. There was just no way that the Jesse in front of her had done something so terrible. She must be remembering it wrong, must not have said no as loudly as she thought she did. It just wasn't possible. Beca cleared her throat, trying to find her voice under the three expectant gazes. "You're wrong, Chloe. I'm sorry if I gave the impression that Jesse hurt me. You must have misunderstood. He wouldn't do that." The lie fell easily from her lips, her voice sounding even and controlled. When she looked up into Chloe's betrayed eyes, she instantly regretted her actions, wanting to take it all back and jump into Chloe's safe embrace. She stayed where she was though, knowing it was too late for all of that.

After a beat, Chloe nodded in defeat and dropped her gaze, fighting tears that she wouldn't allow to fall until she was in the safety of her own apartment. "I understand. My mistake." She shot one last look at Beca, who avoided eye contact, before walking to the door. "Sorry to bother you guys." Beca's heart constricted as she heard the door close. She looked up when she felt the bed dip as Jesse sat next to her.

"Well, that was something, huh?" He laughed nervously, rubbing his sweaty palms against his jeans. "You know, I've got to say, I'm surprised. I knew Chloe was jealous, but I never would have expected her to come up with such an elaborate lie to break us up." He roughly threw his arm around her shoulders, not noticing the way Beca tensed the second he made contact. "You know, Beca, I don't think it's a good idea for you to see Chloe anymore. Since day one, I feel like she's been trying to put a wedge between us and I've had enough of it. You don't need her in your life; not when you've got me." He smiled, happily squeezing her shoulders.

The old Beca would have broken his arm by now. She would have yelled about how he had no right to tell her who she could and could not see. She would have broken up with him on the spot, telling him that she wasn't some doll that he could control. But, Beca had lost her fight. So, she simply nodded, a dead, cold feeling growing inside of her.

_What have I done?_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, who's a little annoyed with Beca? I know, I know, even I'm getting a little frustrated and I'm the writer. It pains me to have her and Chloe fighting, but, don't worry, it's all building to something great at the end. As always, review and let me know you thoughts, concerns, frustrations, ideas, dying questions, etc. I'll do my best to get the next chapter to you in a timely fashion. Happy Friday!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Trigger warning for brief mentions of sexual abuse. Please do not read the second half of this story if you don't feel comfortable.**

* * *

To Beca, time seemed to move at twice its regular speed after that night. For the past two weeks, every dreary day had been the same: she would wake up, go to class, hang out with Jesse, and then (try) to go to sleep. Jesse insisted on spending every free minute around her, an act she found incredibly suffocating, but she didn't argue with him. The only exception she made was that she insisted on going to the Bella's rehearsals, claiming that Aubrey would have her murdered if she stopped going. In reality, she went mostly to see Chloe. Beca hadn't spoken to the red head since the argument in Jesse's dorm room, but every once in a while she would feel Chloe watching her from afar. Beca desperately wanted to talk to her, to apologize and beg for her forgiveness, but she refrained. As much as her heart ached from Chloe's absence, Beca knew that it was for the best. She constantly reminded herself of the hurt she had caused Chloe and told herself that Chloe deserved better than Beca could ever give. Beca was too closed off, too eager to push people away the second life got hard, and Chloe didn't need that in her life. Chloe didn't need Beca or her problems. Or at least, that's what Beca had convinced herself.

Beca sighed unhappily when she saw three texts and a missed call from Jesse at the end of practice. Aubrey had kept them later than usual and she knew Jesse would be angry, despite the fact that it wasn't her fault. She quickly replied with an explanation, and packed her stuff up quickly. Unfortunately, in her haste, she turned and ran directly into another body. The two girls fell in a tangle of limbs and fiery red hair.

"Oof! Beca! Are you okay?" Chloe sat up, concern evident in her eyes as she watch Beca rub a sore spot on her arm.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Beca brushed the dust off of her clothing and got up quickly. She looked around, sighing in relief when she noticed that most of the Bella's had already left the auditorium. Only Aubrey remained, shooting her an accusatory glare that Beca chose to ignore. Beca noticed that Chloe was still on the ground and a feeling of worry and guilt overcame her. "God, Chloe, are you okay? I'm so sorry! I was rushing and I wasn't looking where I was going and –"

"Beca, I'm fine. Really." Chloe chuckled at Beca's awkward rambling. Chloe gratefully accepted the hand that Beca offered, pulling her onto her feet. "So, what's got you speeding around like a natural disaster?"

Beca immediately turned red. "I uh… It's nothing. I'm just supposed to meet Jesse." An instantaneous flash of hurt appeared on Chloe's face before she covered it with a fake smile. If it was possible, Beca hated herself even more.

"Oh. How is he doing?" Chloe's fake happiness made Beca want to throw up.

"He's okay."

Chloe looked up, and bright blue eyes looked deep into Beca's duller ones, searching for the truth. "You know, you're a pretty good liar. That is, to everyone _except_ me." Her façade dropped for a second before returning. "Well, I've got to get going. I'll see you around, Beca."

Beca watched Chloe leave, feeling a pang in her heart when she remembered the days when Chloe never failed to hug her goodbye. She didn't let herself reminisce for long, though, remembering that she had to meet Jesse before he got really pissed. _Jesse_. She ignored the way disgust filled her stomach at the thought of him. _It's not right. This is not how a girlfriend should feel about her boyfriend_. Beca ignored the inner voice inside her head, having stopped listening to it weeks ago.

* * *

Beca was right. Jesse was pissed. After confronting her at her dorm room, an argument that ended in him unfairly accusing her of cheating, he had stormed out in a rage. Strangely enough, though, Beca felt relieved instead of guilty. This was the first afternoon in two weeks that she was able to spend by herself and Beca was going to take full advantage of it. She changed into her comfiest pair of sweatpants and crawled into her bed with the hope of finally being able to work on new mixes. Jesse didn't like it when she mixed while they were hanging out, claiming that she became too focused on the music and forgot he existed. After a couple of hours, she was beginning to feel a bit like her old self again and even considered texting Chloe, Jesse be damned. Just as she picked up her phone, the device buzzed in her hand, signaling a new text message.

_**Jesse: Becaww! I'm sorry for our fightttt! I want to make it up to you;) Come to Bumper and Donald's!**_

Beca sighed. She knew that he was at a party and drunk, Bumper and Donald's apartment being the go-to place for Treble parties. She really didn't want to deal with a drunk Jesse at the moment, but she wanted to deal with a drunk, angry Jesse even less, so she sent a quick reply stating that she would be there in ten minutes. She grabbed the first pair of jeans she saw and change out of her sweats before heading out into the brisk spring night. She took the long way to the apartment, hoping to buy some time, but still ending up arriving much faster than she wanted. She pushed aside the feelings of déjà vu and walked through the doorway with minimal hesitation. The party was in full-swing, music blasting and bodies grinding against each other. She crinkled her nose in disgust as a drink was passed to her, an indistinguishable concoction of multiple different alcohols inside one cup. She deposited the drink on the counter as she moved through the crowd, looking for Jesse.

"Becaw! You came!" Jesse found her first, and he drunkily stumbled towards her. He roughly grabbed her shoulders, using her small frame to keep himself upright. "I missed you!" He said, sloppily capturing her lips in a wet kiss. Beca recoiled, tasting alcohol and God knows what else.

"Jesse, I don't want to do this. Not now and not here, in the middle of a loud party. Let's just talk about it tomorrow."

"It's okay, we can just find somewhere more quiet." Before Beca could protest, Jesse was pulling her up the stairs with a surprising amount of strength and coordination. After first opening the door to a room already occupied by a couple ("Oops. Sorry!"), Jesse found them an empty room and pulled Beca inside, shutting the door behind her. Beca shuddered when she realized that this was the exact same room he had taken her to two Fridays before.

"Jesse, I'm really tired. I should –"

"Sit." Jesse interrupted, roughly pushing her onto the bed.

"Jesse, what are you –" The rest of her question was swallowed by Jesse's mouth on hers. He began pushing them backwards until they were both fully on the bed, Jesse straddling Beca's waist. Panic immediately filled Beca when she realized she couldn't get away. "Jesse, stop!" Beca's small hands pushed against his shoulders as she tried to get his body off of hers.

"Relax." His hot breath on her ear sent shivers of fear down her spine. "You're going to enjoy this way more than last time." Beca froze, the meaning behind his words hitting her full force. A deep sense of panic came over her body as she lost control, reality mixing with memories, her arms and legs beginning to thrash wildly. Jesse leaned in to kiss her again and she bit down hard, tasting blood almost immediately. With a cry, Jesse recoiled, giving Beca the opportunity to slip out from under him. She crashed to the floor with a thump, not slowing down for a second as she ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door, the night air hitting her like a brick wall. She kept running, gasping for air, only stopping when her vision began to go hazy. She sat down on the curb near her, warily looking at the apartment far behind her, before puling her phone from her back pocket. She desperately searched for the name of the one person she needed at the moment, blurry vision making the task more difficult than it should have been. She pressed call and anxiously waited, sighing in relief when she heard a familiar voice answer.

"Beca?"

"Chloe…" Beca managed to rasp out between gasps.

"Beca, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"I…" Beca tried to get the words out of her mouth to no avail. "I can't…" Her vision was beginning to fade, only making Beca panic more.

"Becs, I need you to focus on your breathing, honey. Like we did that night you had the panic attack. In and out. Come on, do it with me. In and out." Beca's breathing slowed down, more controlled but still a little rapid. "Can you tell me where you are, hon?" Chloe used a soft voice, as if she were speaking to a scared child.

Beca nodded before realizing she needed to speak aloud. "Yeah. I'm a couple of blocks down the street from Bumper and Donald's apartment."

Beca heard the sound of keys jingling and muffled speaking, as if Chloe was holding the phone against her chest. Her voice returned back to full volume after a couple seconds. "Okay, I'm on my way. Just stay there, okay? I'll be there in a couple of minutes."

"Okay." Beca whispered, feeling a sense of calm washing over her. Chloe was coming.

* * *

**A/N: I decided to post another chapter to make up for the heartbreak in the past two chapters. YAY Chloe to the rescue! We can all breathe easy now, okay? To the reviewer that asked how many chapters this story will be, I don't have a set answer for you. I'm kind of writing it as I go, so I don't have it really planned out. My rough estimate is maybe 4ish more chapters, possibly 5 or 6. I don't want it to get too long, but I also want to leave you readers with a sense that the story is fully completed. I'm not a fan of open-ended... endings, if that makes sense. Please review! I like to know that you guys are still hanging in with me through this story. Nothing but love for you all! Until next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chloe had never experienced a heart attack before, but she was pretty certain that this is what it would feel like. From the moment she answered her phone and heard Beca's panicked voice, it was like a thousand weights had settled themselves on her chest. She had all but sprinted out of her apartment, managing a brief "I need to pick up Beca" to Aubrey before slamming the door behind her. Breaking more driving laws than she could count, Chloe was turning onto the road Beca had described no longer than five minutes later. She anxiously scoured the surroundings, panic growing at the sight of the deserted street.

Her breath caught when she finally saw a small figure sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, her face buried in her hands. She quickly pulled up next to her and jumped out of the car. "Beca!"

Beca looked up, startled. She frowned in confusion when she saw Chloe rushing towards her, not having heard the car pull up. "Chloe? How fast did you drive?!"

"Forget that." Chloe immediately enveloped the small girl in a hug, squeezing tightly as if Beca would disappear at any moment. Beca slowly relaxed into her arms, tension leaving her body at the comforting contact.

"God, I missed these hugs." Beca murmured quietly, resting her chin on Chloe's shoulder.

Chloe couldn't help but smile, touched by the statement. "I missed you." She replied sincerely. She reluctantly pulled back from the hug. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Beca's eyes dropped to her feet as she remembered the events of the night. "I want to tell you… and I will. I just… I kinda want to get the hell away from here right now."

"Okay." Chloe didn't argue as she opened the passenger side door to her car. Beca slid in wordlessly and Chloe gently shut her door before getting in herself. Chloe got ready to drive when she realized that she didn't actually know where she was going. She turned to Beca, intending to ask, but was distracted when she saw Beca shivering. Chloe immediately shrugged out of her jacket, offering it to the small brunette. "Here, you must be freezing." She turned up the heat as far as she could, bringing Beca's cold hands to the vent.

"Thanks." Beca hadn't even noticed that, in her haste, she had forgotten to grab her jacket. She blushed when she saw that the first couple buttons of her shirt had been unbuttoned. Chloe followed her gaze, but chose not to comment on it, something Beca was very grateful of.

"So, where am I going? Mine?" Beca nodded, not wanting to deal with an unfriendly Kimmy Jin on top of everything else. They drove in comfortable silence, Chloe occasionally humming a tune that Beca didn't recognize. Secretly, Chloe was buzzing with anxiety and questions, but she contained it as best as possible.

Aubrey opened the apartment door as soon as the two girls arrived. She was clearly worried, her fingers anxiously drumming against the door, but one look from Chloe told her to withhold questioning Beca. Chloe immediately led Beca into the living room, Aubrey following behind them. "How about I make us all some tea?" Aubrey offered, noting Beca's shivering.

"That would be great, Bree."Chloe smiled appreciatively. Beca nodded in agreement.

When Aubrey returned, Beca and Chloe were sitting next to each other on the couch, a fleece blanket draped over their laps. Aubrey set down their mugs on the coffee table and awkwardly shifted on her feet, unsure of her place in the conversation. "Well, I'll let you guys talk. I'll be in my room if you need me." She said, deciding that they would want privacy.

She was surprised when Beca stopped her. "You can stay. I mean, if you want to. " Even Chloe looked shocked by Beca's request. "I won't push you guys away anymore." She looked directly at Chloe, who smiled gratefully and squeezed Beca's hand comfortingly. Aubrey awkwardly took a seat on the chair across from them, still feeling a little out of place but happy that Beca was choosing to let her in.

Beca took a deep breath and turned towards Aubrey. "How much do you know already? I know you were there in Jesse's room two weeks ago, but I don't know whether Chloe filled you in or not…" Aubrey made nervous eye contact with Chloe and Beca added, "I wouldn't be mad if she did."

"I guessed most of it, but Chloe filled in the gaps." Aubrey confirmed a little guiltily. Chloe had been distraught after the fight in Jesse's room, and it had taken only a little prodding to get her to spill her secrets.

"So you know what he did?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure at first, but I knew Chloe wouldn't lie about something like that and the more I thought about your behavior in his room, the more I realized it had to be true. I really didn't want it to be. I'm so sorry, Beca." Aubrey said sympathetically.

Beca shook her head. "I'm the one who should be sorry." Chloe immediately opened her mouth to protest but Beca cut her off. "No, please, I need to say this. I was such a fool to give him a second chance. You were only trying to help and I pushed you away and that was so wrong. You were totally right, Chloe. I can't trust Jesse. He was lying just like you said he was. I'm so sorry for not listening and for hurting you. You've done so much for me and I messed it up."

"Shh, Beca it's okay." Chloe leaned in and wrapped the girl in a warm embrace. "It's a tough situation and we've all made mistakes, okay?" Beca nodded, relieved to have her friend back.

"Do you want to talk about what happened tonight?" Aubrey asked tentatively.

"Not really, but I will." Beca sighed, pulling away from the hug. Chloe frowned at the loss of contact, but allowed Beca to continue. "Jesse and I had a fight earlier and he asked me to come to the party so he could apologize. I know it was stupid, but I didn't think…" She fell silent, the memories flashing through her mind. "Well anyway, we went to one of the rooms so we could talk and he tried to…" Her voice faded as she struggled to say the next couple of words.

Understanding what Beca meant, Chloe piped in, her eyes wide with worry. "He didn't though, right?"

Beca shook her head. "No, thank God. I bit his tongue, I think, and then I ran. I'm not really sure; it was all kind of a blur. I think I was having a panic attack."

Chloe nodded. "You were definitely in the middle of a full-fledged panic attack when you called me."

"Yep, so that happened." Beca said awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

"Well, I guess the question I have is: what are you going to do about Jesse?" Aubrey asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Are you going to press charges? At the very least, are you going to break up with him?"

"Is that even a question?" Chloe asked, a spark of anger flashing through her eyes.

"Beca?"

The brunette sighed, leaning forward and putting her head in her hands. "I don't know. I mean, no, it's not a question. I know that I have to break up with him. I know that I should press charges. It's just… I don't know how to do any of that." Chloe began to rub her back soothingly.

"I won't lie, it will probably get messy." Aubrey admitted, knowledge from her pre-law classes coming to the forefront of her brain.

"But we'll be there with you, every step of the way." Chloe included.

Aubrey nodded in agreement. "Of course. If this is something you're serious about, I'll give my dad a call. He may not be the nicest man in the world, but he's the best damn lawyer I know. He'll help us."

"You'd do that. For me?" Beca raised her head in confusion. "Why?"

"Because you're my friend and I've got your back." Aubrey said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And because Jesse Swanson is a pig for doing what he did to you and he deserves to be punished for it." Aubrey's voice rose, anger lacing her words.

"Thank you. Both of you. I don't know what I would do if I had to deal with this on my own." Beca's eyes filled with tears as she realized how lucky she was to have two amazing people supporting her.

"It's a good thing you'll never find out." Chloe smiled, lightly nudging Beca to produce a smile on her face as well. The smile quickly turned into a yawn and it occurred to Chloe that Beca must be drained. "It's late and we've all had a long day. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. What do you say to getting some sleep and leaving the hard decisions for tomorrow?" Beca nodded gratefully. No more words needed to be said, as it was automatically assumed that Beca would be staying in Chloe's bedroom for the night.

The girls separated as they got ready for bed and Aubrey left for her room after wishing them goodnight and telling the two to get her if they needed anything. Beca settled in next to Chloe and the red head immediately pulled her into a cuddling position, placing a gentle kiss into her hair. "Get some sleep, honey." The term of endearment easily slipped from her lips before she had the chance to stop it. Beca made no point of correcting her, so she continued. "I'll be right here if you have any nightmares." The bags under Beca's eyes had been growing daily, and Chloe knew that Beca had trouble sleeping ever since Jesse attacked her.

"I don't have nightmares when I'm around you. It's like you're my own personal dream catcher. You make me feel safe." Beca whispered into Chloe's shoulder on the brink of sleep, her exhaustion making her much open than she normally would be.

Chloe smiled, knowing that Beca probably wouldn't remember this conversation come morning. "You _are_ safe around me. Always." She place one last kiss on Beca's head before allowing her own eyes to close, warmth and happiness spreading through her body and lulling her to a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay guys! Life got really busy all of a sudden and I also had a really hard time writing this chapter, for some reason. I'm still not really happy with it, but it is the way it is. Hopefully the next chapter will be a little better. Love hearing your reviews, so keep 'em coming. I'll do my best to get the next chapter to you guys in a timely manner! **


	10. Chapter 10

Beca awoke early the next morning, disoriented and confused. As she remembered the events of last night, she turned and smiled at the sight in front of her. Since the day she had met her, Beca had thought that Chloe Beale was possibly the most adorable human being she had ever met. However, she was left breathless at the image of Chloe peacefully sleeping, rays of sunlight dancing across her flawless features and fiery red hair splayed across her pillow. For the first time, Beca was struck by her friend's true beauty, and she found that she never wanted to look away. Beca could spend her entire life watching her sleep and she would be fully content. _Wow, Mitchell. Creep, much?_ She shook her head of the random thought process and moved to get out of bed. She attempted to disentangle herself from the red head's grasp, chuckling when an unconscious Chloe only pulled her closer. Finally succeeding in freeing herself, she stood and looked back at her friend. A frown had developed on Chloe's face at the loss of contact, so Beca gently placed a small stuffed teddy bear in her place. Chloe quickly pulled it to her body in a strong hug and resumed her peaceful slumber, content with her new cuddle buddy. Beca couldn't resist the opportunity and snapped a few pictures of the scene on her phone before leaving the room silently.

Beca heard noises coming from the kitchen, so she curiously made her way in that direction. She laughed when she saw a sweaty Aubrey, dressed in work out clothing, making breakfast. "Why am I not surprised that you're that person that works out at," She glanced at the time on the oven, inhaling sharply, "6:30 in the morning? Are you even human?" Beca asked sarcastically.

Aubrey shook her head disapprovingly. "Just because you don't take my cardio rule seriously doesn't mean that it wasn't an important part of becoming champions."

"Right. I'll get on that." Sarcasm dripped from Beca's reply.

"If you had an ounce of my self-discipline you would probably be able to do something with your talent instead of playing around on your computers, DJ Shorty."

Beca laughed out loud when she heard the insult. "And the ice bitch returns. You know, for a second there, I almost thought you had a heart."

"Don't be foolish, Mitchell. I have a heart. I just reserve it for people I actually _like_." In reality Beca was glad that the old Aubrey was back. She had been worried that the senior would treat her differently and the last thing Beca wanted was to be pitied. "Now, make yourself useful and finish breakfast while I take a shower. Think you can manage that without burning my apartment down?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, I do have more skills besides creating 'mad-lib beats'. I think I can handle pancakes."

"Good. For every burned pancake, you have to run a lap during practice, understood?" Aubrey yelled as she walked down the hallway towards the bathroom.

Beca ignored her, taking her place at the stovetop. She busied herself with making breakfast, unintentionally humming a melody that had been stuck in her head for days. She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear Chloe curiously make her way into the kitchen. Just as Beca had before, Chloe stood in the background, secretly observing Beca. She loved watching this side of Beca, her face set in determination and her head bopping to a mysterious beat. Chloe was not oblivious; she knew she had feelings for Beca ever since she had laid eyes on the freshman at the activities fair. She had kept things friendly, afraid of pushing the girl away from her, but always hoping that their relationship would grow to something more. Chloe's heart had broken when she watched Beca kiss Jessie the night they had won finals, and after sulking for weeks, she had all but given up on the idea of their romance. Recent events, however, had sparked the feelings Chloe had buried, and she found herself imagining a future in which she'd be waking up to Beca making breakfast every morning. Chloe smiled wistfully at the thought when Beca turned and nearly dropped the plate of pancakes in fright.

"Jeez, Chloe! How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long." Chloe blushed, embarrassed to have been caught spying. "That smelled so delicious I had to get up. Besides, I was wondering where my bedmate disappeared to." Chloe winked, amused by the blush that crept into Beca's cheeks.

"If I remember correctly, you seemed to think that Mr. Teddy Bear made a perfectly fine bedmate." Beca pointed out with a smirk. She handed Chloe a plate and they each grabbed pancakes.

"His name is Mr. Snuggles, thank you very much." Chloe corrected, diving into the pancakes hungrily.

"Of course it is. I wouldn't expect anything else." Beca laughed. They exchanged small talk as they ate.

"What are your plans for the day?" Chloe asked, hoping that she would be able to spend more time with the girl.

"The only thing I have today is work at the radio station. I'm on until 3."

"Don't forget about rehearsal at 4!" Aubrey returned to the kitchen, looking refreshed. "Oh, good, breakfast isn't burnt." She grabbed a plate and sat down next to Chloe.

"You don't have to go to rehearsals if you don't feel up to it, Beca. We'd understand." Chloe said quickly, ignoring Aubrey's glare.

"That's okay, I want to. I just want things to get back to normal. Or as close to normal as my life can get, I guess." Beca replied.

"Okay!" Chloe jumped up from the table and placed the empty dishes in the sink. "Well, I'm gonna go out for a morning run. Want to come along?" Chloe asked hopefully.

"Oh God, not you too." Beca groaned.

"Guess it's a result of living with Aubrey for 4 years. Cardio is actually kind of fun."

"Gross. I'd do a lot for you, Chlo, but I'm going to pass." Beca almost reconsidered when she saw Chloe pouting. "Anyways, I've got to go back to my dorm and get ready for work."

"Jesse isn't going to be there, is he?" Chloe asked worriedly.

"Nope. He doesn't work weekends."

"Thank God." Chloe audibly sighed in relief.

"You know, I do have to talk to him at some point. He's been texting me like crazy since last night. As much as I wish it would, avoiding him won't work forever." Beca pointed out, her phone buzzing as if on cue.

"I know, I know. It might sound really overprotective, but I just don't want you to be alone with him anymore." Chloe said tentatively, worried that Beca would get defensive again.

"I can't argue with you there, Chlo." Beca didn't want to be around Jesse any more than Chloe did. "We can talk about it more after rehearsals." Beca grabbed Chloe's jacket from where she had left it last night. "Mind if I borrow this?"

"Not at all." Chloe was secretly very happy at the sight of Beca wearing her jacket. Chloe stepped forward for a hug and whispered in her ear, "Love you. Stay safe. Text me later, okay?"

Beca nodded. "Love you too. Thank you for everything, Chlo. You too, Aubrey." Beca looked at Aubrey, who simply nodded. Beca ignored the way her heart squeezed painfully when she pulled away from the hug and walked out of the apartment, as if she were leaving a piece of her heart behind with Chloe. Who knew one red head could turn the tough Beca Mitchell into a huge sap?

* * *

"Okay, good work girls! We'll work on the harmonies tomorrow!" Bella's rehearsal had just finished and everyone was gathering their things from the bleachers.

Chloe skipped up to Beca, who watched her with an amused expression on her face. "Someone's in a chipper mood."

"I was thinking that we should hang out, watch a movie or something." Chloe said happily, hoping Beca would agree.

Beca opened her mouth to reply, but was immediately distracted by something behind Chloe. "Oh no…" Blood rushed from her face as she watched Jesse enter the auditorium, a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

Aubrey stepped in front of Jesse before he could get to where Beca and Chloe were standing. "Excuse me. This is a Bella's rehearsal. No Trebles allowed." She said authoritatively, hoping he would leave easily.

"Last time I checked you don't own the auditorium and it is 6:05, meaning that Bella's rehearsal is officially over. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to go talk to my girlfriend now." He stepped around Aubrey, but didn't get much further as an angry Chloe advanced on him.

"Like hell you are." Chloe pushed him back. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here." Beca's eyes widened in awe. She had never seen Chloe act so angrily towards a person before, and she wasn't the only one that was surprised. All of the Bella's in the auditorium had stopped packing up and were watching the scene unfold with a mixture of shock and confusion. Beca realized that her personal life was about to become very public in a minute if she didn't step in, so she walked to Chloe's side, gently placing a hand on her lower back. Chloe seemed to understand and she relaxed slightly.

"Jesse." He reluctantly tore his eyes away from Chloe's. "We need to talk, but now is not the time." Beca tried her hardest to keep her voice even, hoping that Jesse would leave voluntarily.

"I brought you flowers." He said simply, holding out the bouquet. "I wanted to apologize for last night. Things got out of hand and I'm sorry."

Chloe stared at him in disbelief. "You're _sorry_? Do you really think that an apology and a couple of flowers are going to make up for what you did?"

"Chloe…" Beca desperately tried to keep the situation under control. "I appreciate the flowers, Jesse, but I think you should leave right now. We can talk later."

"What?! Are you serious, Beca?" Jesse looked absolutely enraged. Beca flinched as he threw the bouquet onto the floor. "I cannot believe you! You're going to take this crazy bitch's side over mine, _your boyfriend_?! She's a lunatic!"

Beca felt her blood boil. "Let's get something straight, Jesse. You do not _ever_ get to insult my friends, least of all Chloe. Now, I wanted to do this in private, but since you refuse to leave, I guess this is going to happen right now. I'm done. We are over. I never want to see your face again. Are we clear?"

Jesse looked anything but clear on what was happening, his gaze darting between Beca and Chloe. "I don't understand. Why is this happening? What did you do?" He was looking at Chloe now, his voice taking on an accusatory tone.

"Hey! This isn't her fault; it's yours. You know full well why this is happening and what you did, so don't play the fool." She dropped her voice then, not wanting everyone to hear what she said next. "You're lucky I haven't pressed charges yet, but your luck is going to run out, Jesse, so I suggest you get a good lawyer. I'm not going to stand by and let you hurt anyone else."

To Beca's surprise, Jesse laughed. His entire demeanor changed as he took a step back, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. "This is rich, Beca. Really. You know, you act all tough and badass now because you've got all your friends behind you, but this isn't the real Beca Mitchell. It's adorable, really, how you put on this fake act of courage in front of your friends, but in reality, you're just a scared little girl who didn't even try to put up a good fight. 'No. _Please_.' I expected more from the great—"

Chaos erupted around the room at Jesse's words. Before anyone could move, Chloe lunged herself at Jesse, landing a couple punches before he had time to defend himself. Beca felt herself getting pulled back by a worried Aubrey, who looked torn between protecting Beca and stopping Chloe. In seconds, Jesse angrily pushed Chloe off of him and she lost her balance, falling to the floor. Aubrey immediately ran to her, making sure she was okay. Freed, Beca moved towards Jesse furiously, but was distracted by a yell across the room. "Woah, don't you put your hands on Little Red." Fat Amy roared, jumping towards Jesse herself. Cynthia Rose and Stacy reacted quickly, immediately grabbing her arms in an attempt to hold her back.

Beca turned back towards Jesse, who looked alarmed at the sight of Fat Amy fighting to get to him. Beca used his distraction against him and shoved him, feeling satisfied when she saw him hit the ground painfully. "Leave. Now." The command was final, with no room for argument.

Jesse looked at her for a full second before slowly picking himself off of the floor. His eyes were hard when he looked back into Beca's eyes. "This isn't over." He challenged, before turning and stalking out of the auditorium, the door slamming loudly behind him.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, but I tried to make up for it by giving you a super long chapter. I'm hoping you guys loved the Bechloe fluff at the beginning as much as I did. Thank you for all the reviews and follows and favorites; I love getting them! You're all awesome! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

A stagnant silence fell over the room as everyone processed what had just happened. Beca could feel herself shaking, though she wasn't sure if it was from anger or fear. She suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that everyone's eyes were on her, only making her heart beat even more erratically. She balled her hands into fists, hoping to conceal the trembling, and turned to face the crowd. Her eyes immediately fell on Chloe, who was still on the ground with Aubrey kneeled next to her. "Are you okay?" Beca's voice sounded foreign to her, as if it were coming from someone else's body.

Chloe nodded and stood up, concern evident from her features. "Are _you _okay?" She took a step closer to Beca, wanting nothing more than to pull her into a hug.

Beca took a step backward, her eyes darting around the room anxiously. She felt like an animal on display, everyone watching to see what she would do next. It was suffocating, and Beca knew that she needed to get out before she broke down in front of an audience. The old Beca would have just ran, but one look into Chloe's worried eyes convinced Beca that she need to say something first. "Yeah, I just… need some time. To think." _Alone_. She took another step back, the urge to flee becoming stronger with each second.

Chloe nodded and seemed to understand. "Okay. We're here if you need us." Beca nodded curtly and took that as an invitation to go, turning on her heels and practically jogging out of the auditorium. Chloe sighed sadly, knowing that Beca needed her space but wishing that she could follow her. She took a deep breath to calm herself and ran a hand through her hair, clearly stressed.

"Okay, is anyone going to explain what the hell just happened?" Stacy spoke first, breaking the silence. Chloe and Aubrey exchanged a look, not sure how to answer.

"Um…" Chloe wracked her brain for a way to get around the question, coming up empty.

"Look, it's obvious something happened between Shorty and Movie Buff. Judging by your faces and that fight, I'm guessing it was some serious shit. My question is, who's ass am I kicking? 'Cuz if that Jerk-face hurt our tiny DJ, then I _will_ release the Kraken." Fat Amy began to crack her knuckles, and some of the Bellas nodded in agreement.

"I know someone who can make people disappear." Lilly added quietly, and Aubrey's eyes widened in horror.

"Okay, let's all just take a breath. While I'm sure Beca appreciates your… loyalty… I don't think any of that will be necessary. The best thing we can do right now is give her whatever space she needs and support her if she comes to us. There will be no Kraken or disappearing, understood?" Aubrey looked pointedly at Fat Amy and Lilly, who nodded reluctantly. "Good. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I have lots to do, so I suggest we all go about our day like normal." She watched as the girls slowly resumed packing up, leaving the auditorium in small groups.

Soon, only Stacy remained and she walked up to Chloe, her steps uncertain. "Um, Chloe? I guess Beca was in such a hurry, that she left her bag. I figured you and Aubrey might want it…" Chloe smiled and gratefully took the bag.

"Thanks, Stace. I'll text her that I have it." Stacy didn't make any move to leave and Chloe frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Stacy bit her lip nervously. "I think I know what's going on with Beca."

"You do?" Chloe's eyebrows raised in surprise.

Stacy nodded slowly. "It wasn't that hard to put together, with what Jesse said and how you guys are acting. I don't want to overstep my boundaries or anything. I just wanted to tell you that I've had a friend who's gone through something similar, so I know how hard it can be. If you, Aubrey, or Beca need anything, just, like, let me know, okay?"

"Chlo, if we leave now I can give you a ride home on my way to my internship." Aubrey walked up to the two girls, her own bag slung over her shoulder. Aubrey was curiously looked between Stacy and Chloe, trying to figure out what she had interrupted.

"Um, yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Stace. I'll let you know." Stacy nodded and left without another word.

"What was that about?" Aubrey asked Chloe.

"I don't know, but I'm starting to get the feeling that these girls have way more secrets than we could have ever predicted." Chloe responded vaguely.

* * *

Chloe was happily surprised when she opened the door an hour later to find Beca on her doorstep, an ice pack and a box of Chloe's favorite chocolates in her hands. "I, uh, remember how much punching someone hurts, so I figured you might want some ice…" She held out the ice pack awkwardly. Chloe laughed at the reference of the time Beca had punched one of the Tonehangers and had ended up getting arrested.

"Thanks!" She took the ice pack with her good hand. "And the chocolates?"

"These are a sort-of apology for running out and leaving you to deal with the Bella aftermath. Also, I thought they might make a good snack for when we watch _Breakfast At Tiffany's_ later?" Chloe smiled so brightly that Beca couldn't help but smile herself.

"Oh, get in here, dork!" Chloe pulled Beca inside, excitedly taking the chocolates and opening the box. "Beca, why are like half the chocolates missing?"

"Oh, yeah… I may have eaten a couple on the way here." Beca shrugged nonchalantly as Chloe rolled her eyes. "Hey, it's the thought that counts right?"

Chloe scoffed. "Not when it comes to chocolate. The thought was very sweet though. Thank you." Chloe led Beca to the living room where they sat next to each other on the couch.

"No Aubrey?" Beca questioned, looking around.

"Nope. Just us." Chloe winced as she tried to gently place the ice pack on her already swollen knuckles. Beca watched her sympathetically, and unreadable emotion in her eyes. Sadness, maybe? Chloe couldn't put her finger on it, and that worried her. "How are _you_, Beca?"

"I'm… okay. I'm sorry that you got involved in this. That wasn't your fight to be a part in, never mind get hurt in."

"Are you mad?" Chloe's heart tightened at the thought that she may have messed up again.

"At you? No. You were just defending me. Thank you for that, by the way."

"I'll always defend you, Beca. That's what friends are for, right?" Chloe tried to make eye contact with Beca, but the brunette was suddenly very interested in the seams of her jacket. "What's goin' on in that pretty head of yours, Becs?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca bit her lip, her body tense from anxiety. "I just… when I saw Jesse push you, I lost it. The thought that he could've hurt you…" Beca trailed off and Chloe swore she saw tears in Beca's eyes.

"Hey…" Chloe gently took Beca's hand with her unharmed one. "I'm right here, Becs. I'm okay." Chloe lightly place a finger under Beca's chin, slowly lifting her face until she was looking into her blue eyes. When their eyes finally met, a tiny gasp escaped Chloe's lips. She had never seen so much raw emotion in the normally guarded girl's eyes. Their faces were only inches apart, and Chloe's gaze fell to Beca's lips, thinking about how easy it would be to kiss them.

It was Beca, however, who moved forward and captured Chloe's lips in one short, sweet kiss. Beca's mind went blissfully blank, thoughts of Jesse erased from her memory. She could only think of the way that Chloe's lips felt against hers, gentle and soft. When they separated, Beca raised her hand to her tingling lips.

"Wow…" She breathed, speechless.

"Wow, indeed." Chloe giggled.

"I… I don't know what that was." Beca said, the realization of what had just happened dawning on her.

"I'm pretty sure that was a kiss, Becs. A damn good one from my perspective." Chloe joked.

"No, that's not what I meant. I don't know what this is, what this means." Beca's voice took on a serious tone and Chloe's followed suit.

"That's okay." She said, although she felt a little part of her die when she thought about Beca backing out after a kiss like _that_. "We don't have to call this anything. It can just be a kiss, if that's what you want." _Or it can be more,_ she thought wistfully.

Beca nodded, though her heart was telling her that that was _not_ just a kiss. She had kissed Jesse multiple times, but had never felt what she felt with Chloe. "And, if that isn't what I want?" Beca asked hesitantly, unsure if she actually wanted to hear the answer. She was terribly afraid that she had ruined the first true friendship she had ever had.

"What do you want, Beca?" Chloe asked, feeling her heart soar at the fact that Beca didn't dismiss the kiss.

"I… don't know." Beca's brain felt mumbled and she struggled to understand her own feelings. "You deserve a better answer, I know that. But, I honestly don't know right now."

"It's okay; we can cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, we can just be Beca and Chloe, watching _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ and eating lots of chocolate."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Chloe's smile was infectious, and, despite her internal conflict, Beca found herself smiling too as they settled into the couch in preparation for watching the movie. Chloe didn't remove her hand from Beca's, figuring that Beca would pull away if she wanted to, but the brunette held on. If there was one thing that Beca was certain of, it was that everything felt right with Chloe by her side, and she was never going to let that go.

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh how is everyone doing? Writing this chapter made me grin like a total dork, so I hope you all enjoyed it. Keep reviewing! I'm loving the feedback! Thanks for reading! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Aubrey walked into the apartment in a panic, consequently waking Beca and Chloe from where they had fallen asleep on the couch. Beca immediately jumped up, putting as much distance between herself and Chloe as possible. Chloe frowned, but chose not to comment, instead focusing her attention on Aubrey.

"Have you guys checked your phones recently?!" Aubrey exclaimed, running into the living room in a panic.

"Um, no… What's going on?" Chloe looked at her roommate alarmed.

"Jesse got arrested. Everyone is talking about it." The two seniors looked at Beca.

"Oh… I may have gone to the police station and filed a report." Beca said, with a shrug.

"What? When?" Chloe questioned.

"After I left the auditorium. I figured I should go before I lost my nerve. I didn't think it would get out this fast though…" Beca explained.

"Well, it did and it's spreading through campus like a wildfire. As far as I can tell, no one knows why Jesse was arrested, but it's only a matter of time before that gets out too." Aubrey's expression softened when she saw the look of misery on Beca's face. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine how horrible it must be to have your personal life on display." Chloe placed a comforting hand on Beca's shoulder.

"Oh my God! I didn't even think… my dad is gonna hear about this! I have to call him." Beca jumped up and grabbed her phone off of the coffee table. She ignored the multiple text messages from people wondering about Jesse, and immediately called her father. She anxiously listened to the ringing on the other line and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a voice on the other line.

"Beca! Where are you? I was just at your dorm!"

"I uh… I'm at a friends…" Beca replied, her eyes meeting Chloe's. The red head gave her an encouraging smile. "Listen, Dad, I need to-"

"Beca, what the hell is going on?! I was told by a coworker, of all people, that my daughter's boyfriend was _arrested_! What have you done now?!" He exclaimed, exasperated.

"Me?! I haven't _done_ anythi-" Beca was cut off again by a bitter laugh.

"Oh, save it Beca. We all know you have a propensity for getting yourself into trouble. I just feel bad that you roped that poor boy into your web."

"My web?! Are you being serious right now?!" Beca could feel her anger rising and she turned away from Aubrey and Chloe's questioning looks. "God, will you ever just _listen_ to what I have to say before making an assumption?"

"I don't have time to listen to excuses, Beca. Now, I have a reputation here as a distinguished professor and your 'activities' are starting to tarnish that reputation. I would appreciate it if you could at least _try_ to get your act together so I don't have to keep defending my screw-up of a child. I have to teach a class now. We will finish discussing this later." With that, the line went dead.

Beca stood speechless, staring at the phone in her hands. Aubrey cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Beca simply shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

"What did he say?" Chloe tone was much softer and gentler. She approached Beca slowly, putting a comforting hand on her arm.

Beca sighed, feeling the tension leave her body at Chloe's touch. She shook her head again, almost as if to rid herself of the harsh words of her father. "Never mind. It doesn't matter. Forget him." Chloe still looked worried, but decided to let it go.

"Okay. What do you wanna do now? Watch another movie?" Chloe practically bounced with excitement.

Beca sighed again, looking at her watch. "Actually, I think I should head out. I don't want to walk back in the dark."

"Are you sure? I can give you a ride." Chloe pouted, and Beca chuckled lightly.

"I'm sure, Chlo. I could use the fresh air." Beca stepped forward and gave the disappointed red head an apologetic hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? We can grab lunch or something."

"Okay!" Chloe's mood seemed to brighten at the prospect of seeing the short brunette the next day. Aubrey shot her a knowing gaze, but kept her observations to herself. She watched as Chloe walked Beca to the door, giving her one last squeeze before allowing her to leave. Aubrey's eyebrows rose as she watched her roommate deflate now that the short brunette had left.

"I get the feeling we have a lot to talk about." Aubrey said with an amused tone.

"You have no idea."

* * *

As Beca began her walk back to her dorm, she pulled on her headphones, quickly finding a playlist that would suit her mood. She quickly became lost in her thoughts, images of a certain red head assaulting her brain, not that she minded. Naturally, she thought again about the kiss and what it meant. It was clear to Beca that her feelings for Chloe went beyond that of an average friend, but the question resided in what she would do with that information. She didn't consider herself as a person that was good with relationships, and generally tended to avoid putting herself in situations where her heart was vulnerable. She thought of how badly the relationship with Jesse had ended, and she knew that she was nowhere near ready to throw herself into another romance. But, on the other hand, she couldn't bear the thought of distancing herself from Chloe, as she would normally do when she felt that someone was getting too close. Chloe had already managed to worm her way into the brunette's guarded heart, somehow, and Beca found that she didn't mind. That had to mean something, didn't it?

She continued her internal debate, completely unaware of her surroundings. So, she was understandable startled when she crashed directly into a body in front of her. She inwardly groaned when she recognized the signature red Treble sweatshirt. Thankfully, it wasn't Jesse, but one of his teammates, whose name she had never bothered to learn.

"Hey, you're Beca, right?" Beca stared at him stonily, not really intending to start a conversation. "Yeah, you're Jesse's girlfriend." She groaned audibly.

"_Ex_-girlfriend." She corrected, before turning slightly so that she could walk around him. To her displeasure, he followed her.

"You're the reason Jesse got arrested, aren't you? In case you didn't know, his dad already bailed him out. He told us that you're causing him trouble."

"You might want to get your facts straight, bud. Jesse caused trouble for himself." Beca scoffed, though she was bothered by the thought that Jesse had already been released.

"Hey." He grabbed her arm tightly, forcing her to stop. "You mess with one Treble, you mess with all of us."

"Let go of me." Beca growled. He merely grabbed her other arm, pushing her into the brick wall of the building they were standing next to. "Hey! What are you—"

"Whatever you have on Jesse, drop it. I don't know why you're messing with his life, but you aren't going to win. Things are going to get really ugly for you, Beca, if you don't leave him alone. Jesse has a lot of people backing him up, and we _will_ ruin you." He stared right into her eyes, as if daring her to fight back, before releasing his grip on her body. "I'll see you around, Beca." He casually walked away, leaving an astonished Beca still pressed against the building.

Beca would be lying if she said she didn't feel intimidated and frightened by what had just happened. The boy's threat had seemed very real, and she suddenly realized what she was up against. The whole situation seemed rather hopeless; no one would believe an 'alternative', aspiring DJ over a charismatic, normal-looking student with a clean record. Frustrated, she kicked the side of the building, wincing as her foot came into contact with the hard brick. The words of her father echoed in her head, as she turned and walked in the opposite direction of her dorm building.

She needed alcohol.

* * *

**A/N: That slimy rat! Okay, so I think I need to stop predicting when this story is going to end, because I am clearly horrible at it. I guess I want to know if this feels too drawn out or if you like the direction that this is heading in. Full disclosure: I don't really have a plan. I know how I want it to end, but I have absolutely no idea how to get there, so suggestions and ideas are welcome. Also, sorry this is a shorter chapter, but I should have the next one up in a day or so, so yay for free time! Okay that's all for now. Don't forget to read, review, and repeat. Oh, also follow, favorite, and... flip out? Yeah, I don't know, I tried...**


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh no, he's so going to regret that. That girl is such an _airhead_." Aubrey exclaimed, shaking her head at the TV screen.

"She's _sweet_, Aubrey." Chloe defended. The two seniors sat on the couch in their pajamas, mindlessly watching _The Bachelor_ while eating ice cream out of the carton. It had become somewhat of a tradition of theirs whenever one or both of them was in emotional turmoil. Aubrey was the one to suggest it after hearing Chloe ramble about Beca for nearly an hour.

"Well, as long as it's not Cassandra, I guess." Aubrey conceded.

"What?! She's my favorite!" Chloe exclaimed, almost sounding offended.

"She has a bad attitude." Aubrey replied knowingly.

"She's just protecting her heart! She's probably been hurt in the past… or something."

Aubrey laughed. "Well, now I know why she's your favorite? Remind you of a certain prickly DJ, maybe?"

Chloe grabbed a pillow and threw it in Aubrey's direction. "You're the worst. That is _not_ why I like her."

"Uh huh." Aubrey said, though she sounded completely unconvinced. Before their argument could continue any further, the shrill ringing of Chloe's cell phone interrupted them.

"That's weird, it's Stacy." Chloe frowned in confusion. "Hey, Stace, what's up?" Aubrey watched as Chloe listened intensely. "She what?!" Chloe put a hand to her forehead and sighed in frustration. "Yeah, I'll come pick her up. Just please keep an eye on her until I get there, Stace. Mhmm, see you soon." Chloe hung up the phone and turned her attention to Aubrey. "Stacy found Beca at a bar and she's really drunk. I'm gonna go pick her up."

Aubrey sighed and turned off the TV, recognizing this as the end of their girl's night. "You know, that girl does need an awful lot of saving recently." Aubrey noted.

"Aubrey… "Chloe warned, not wanting to hear a lecture.

"I'm not trying to play the mother here, Chlo, by all means you can save whoever you want whenever. I'm just saying, I don't want to see anyone taking advantage of you or walking all over you. That's all."

"It isn't like that, Aubrey. She's going through something." Chloe replied, grabbing her keys from the counter.

"I get that, Chloe, I do, but going through something is no reason to treat you like crap. She's really confused right now and I just don't want you get strung along, okay? Keep that in mind. I'm on your side here."

"There aren't sides, Bree. Beca's side is my side." Chloe clarified before walking out into the night.

Aubrey sighed. _I hope you're right_.

* * *

When Chloe returned toting a nearly unconscious Beca, Aubrey had called it a night and closed herself in her room. Thankfully, the freshman was small and light, so Chloe easily carried her into her bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. Chloe noticed a cold bottle of water and a bottle of Advil sitting on her bedside table, and she made a mental note to thank Aubrey in the morning.

Chloe quickly opened the water and handed it to Beca, who was attempting to keep herself in a sitting position. "Drink as much as you can." She ordered, before she began to rifle through her dresser for pajamas Beca could borrow. She finally settled on some shorts and concert T-shirt, and she turned to face Beca again. She was pleased to see that Beca had drunk half of the contents of the water bottle, like she had asked. "Well, at least you're an obedient drunk." Chloe muttered to herself, handing Beca the clothing.

"Have I ever told you that you're like an angel? Fat Amy says gingers don't have a soul, but there's no way because you're so… angel-like." Beca slurred happily.

Chloe laughed. "Angelic. I think the word you're looking for is angelic. I'm going to turn around so you can get changed, okay?" Though Chloe had already seen the brunette naked (a memory that still managed to bring a blush to her cheeks), she didn't want to make the girl self-conscious or uncomfortable.

Beca seemed to be thinking the same thing, however, as she laughed and said, "You have seen me naked before." Chloe just rolled her eyes and turned around regardless. She fought the urge to laugh when she heard Beca huffing in frustration.

"Do you need help?" Chloe asked, slightly amused by the situation.

"No." Apparently Beca's stubbornness remained despite her inebriation. "I just… why are buttons so difficult?!"

Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the childlike tone of Beca's voice, turning to see the girl struggling to unbutton her flannel. "Here, let me." Chloe gently pushed away Beca's hands and began unbutton the shirt for her. She tried not to the think about how her fingers would brush against Beca's stomach every once in a while, or the butterflies she felt when she gently pushed the shirt off of the girls small shoulders. She avoided looking into Beca's eyes as she quickly reached for the shirt and slipped it over her head. Only then does she look up, surprised to find Beca's expression to be fairly sober.

"Thanks." Beca whispered, her face inches away from Chloe's. She could feel the girl's hot breath on her skin, and she shivered, unable to contain her attraction. Without hesitation, Beca pressed her lips to Chloe's, smiling slightly when she felt Chloe respond almost immediately.

Beca pulled back slightly, their foreheads touching. "You're beautiful." She whispered with so much conviction Chloe blushed and looked away.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mitchell." Chloe responded, heart thudding loudly in her chest as she eagerly captured Beca's lips in another kiss.

As the kiss deepened, Beca scooted back and pulled Chloe onto the bed with her. She ignored the flash of panic that accompanied their position, and surged forward, slipping her hands underneath the hem of Chloe's shirt. She stroked the exposed skin of Chloe's back lightly, loving the way it felt under her fingertips. Chloe moaned softly, and Beca took that as a signal to proceed, pulling eagerly on Chloe's shirt, breaking their kiss for a moment to pull it over her head.

"Beca…" Chloe whispered breathlessly, but her words were muffled by another kiss. Beca guided Chloe's hands to her waist and under the hem of her borrowed shirt. "Beca." Chloe pulled back once more, her eyes searching Beca's deep blue.

"Shh… Less talking, more kissing." Beca replied, ridding herself of the shirt much faster than it had taken her to put it on. She pressed her lips to Chloe's, before moving down to place passionate kisses on her neck. This seemed to distract Chloe for the moment, another moan escaping her lips in pleasure.

They continued to make out for another couple minutes, but Chloe immediately pulled back when she felt Beca's hands on the button of her jeans. "Beca, wait."

"Seriously? I am _nude_." Beca joked, smiling lightly at the memory.

"No, Beca, I'm serious. Stop." That seemed to do the trick, Beca immediately freezing at Chloe's words. Within seconds, Beca disentangled herself from the red head and moved herself to the edge of the bed, her back turned to Chloe.

Chloe sighed, realizing her tone sounded much harsher than she had intended. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong." Her tone was much softer, as she moved to sit next to Beca, though the girl refused to meet her eyes. "Beca, would you please look at me?"

When Beca finally looked up, her deep blue eyes were filled with rejection and hurt. "You don't want me." She said simply, as if stating a fact.

"No! No, that's not it at all." Chloe could've slapped herself for making the brunette think that she was rejecting her. "I _want_ you, Beca, trust me. Just… not like this."

Beca looked at her doubtfully before looking back down at her lap. "I'm… dirty. I've already been used and now I'm just seconds." Her voice was so quiet Chloe almost missed it, the pure vulnerability in her voice reminding Chloe of the day that she had found Beca in her room.

"Hey." Chloe's voice was serious as she gently lifted Beca's chin so that their eyes connected. "That isn't true." She wiped away a stray tear that escaped Beca's eye. "You, Beca Mitchell, are the most breathtakingly beautiful person I have ever met."

She could still see doubt in Beca's eyes, so Chloe continued, intending to talk until Beca believed her. "I'm serious. You've got this amazing, flawless ivory skin that's softer than anything I've ever felt. And, you do these things with your hair that can only be described as hair porn because it's so intricate and beautiful and unlike anything I've ever seen." Beca chuckled lightly at the phrase 'hair porn' and Chloe's heart soared at the sound. "You may not smile that often, trying to keep up the badass image or whatever, but when you do, it's so gorgeous and it makes me feel like the most special person in the world because it was directed at me. And your eyes… God, Beca, your eyes remind me of the ocean, which is my favorite place in the world because it's so calm and peaceful. I could get lost in your eyes, Beca. But none of that compares to how beautiful you are on the inside. I have never met anyone like you, and I don't think I ever will, because you are absolutely one-of-a-kind, in the best way possible. I love how tough and resilient you are. Your strength amazes me, and it's equally as amazing that, within all that strength, you are still able to be soft and caring and sweet. Not a lot of people get to see that side of you, Beca, and it's such a shame because people don't get to see how wonderful you really are. But, at the same time, it's fantastic because it feels like I get to see this secret that no one else can see. I just want to be around you all the time. You're… intoxicating and so funny and charming and sexy. Oh God, you're sexy. So, please, believe me when I say that I very much want to have sex with you, but you deserve so much more than a drunken, spur-of-the-moment night. You deserve romance and passion, but most of all, you deserve love. And I fully intend to give you all of that, and more, when you're ready. If you'll let me, that is." Chloe finished her speech breathless, surprised at all of the words that had tumbled out of her mouth. She hadn't meant to talk for so long, but she had been preparing a speech like this since she had first met Beca at the activities fair. Once she started, she found she couldn't stop until it had all been said, her heart lying exposed in Beca's hands.

Beca, to her credit, didn't interrupt Chloe. She simply sat quietly, absorbing and processing all of the Chloe's heartfelt words. She was left understandably speechless by the end, and only one phrase come to the forefront of her mind.

"I love you."

It was short, only three words, but Chloe couldn't have thought of a more perfect response. Though Beca had said it to her before, it was different this time. There was no friendly undertone to it, like there had been before; there was just pure, unadulterated love. Chloe understood that it was more than just a declaration of love. It was a promise; a promise to love Chloe, yes, but also a promise to let Chloe love her, more than Beca had ever given to anyone in her entire life. And when Beca leaned in to kiss Chloe, slowly and with more love than she had ever felt before, Chloe was absolutely certain that she had Beca's heart too, exposed and vulnerable as ever.

* * *

**A/N: YAY BECHLOE FTW! That is all. Thanks for reading and keep posted for the next (possibly last) chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

Beca woke with a groan, her head throbbing painfully. _This is why I don't drink_, she thought bitterly. She bleakly opened one eye, and quickly helped herself to the rest of the water and some Advil. When she turned over, she found bright, blue eyes watching her.

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked softly, lifting her hand to brush a stray hair out of her face.

"Hungover, but like the luckiest girl on Earth."

Chloe smiled. "So you remember what happened last night?" Beca frowned at the relief in her voice.

"Of course. How could I forget?"

"I don't know, Beca… You had quite a lot to drink." Chloe pointed out.

Beca sighed, giving Chloe an apologetic look. "I know, and I'm really sorry about that Chloe. I shouldn't have put myself in that situation or put you in the position to have to come and get me."

"You're lucky that Stacy was there before something happened. Why did you do it? I thought you were going home." Chloe wasn't angry, but she wanted to know that Beca wouldn't put herself in danger like that again.

"I promise, Chloe, I had every intention of going home when I left. But then I ran into this Treble and he threatened me and I was already feeling really down about the things my dad said and I just got really overwhelmed. It was stupid, but I just felt like trying to fight Jesse was pointless and –"

"Wait, what Treble?" Chloe was worried now, propping herself up on her elbow.

"I ran into one of the Trebles on my way home and he told me that Jesse was already released and that I would never win. I'm okay. It just freaked me out a little bit."

Chloe frowned and stroked her back comfortingly. "You don't have to worry about the Trebles. We'll fight them together."

"Together? Like… a couple?" Beca looked up at Chloe, her face unreadable.

"That depends…" Chloe said cautiously. "What do you want?"

Beca looked at her seriously, and Chloe felt her breath catch in her throat. "Chloe Beale… Will you be my girlfriend?" The smile that graced Chloe's face was absolutely priceless, and they both laughed happily has she sprung forward and hugged Beca tightly.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

_Knock, Knock, Knock._

"Beca! It's Chloe! Let me in!" Beca happily bounded across the room and opened the door, pulling her girlfriend into the room.

"Hello, girlfriend." Beca said as she pulled the red head into a short, but passionate kiss.

"Mm I love these types of hellos." Chloe murmured, before stepping back to take in Beca's appearance. "You look great!"

Beca nervously tugged at her sleeves, returning to stand in front of the mirror. "You think? It feels off."

Chloe loosely wrapped her arms around Beca's middle, leaning her chin on the shorter girl's shoulder. "You're beautiful. They'll love you."

"They don't have to love me, Chlo. They just need to believe me." Beca muttered, fixing her blazer for the millionth time.

"You nervous?" Chloe asked, feeling the tension in Beca's body and pulling Beca closer.

Beca sighed, relaxing into Chloe's embrace. It had been almost a year since the two girls had started their romance, but Chloe's touch still had a magical effect on her body, causing the stress to drain out in seconds. In truth, she was very nervous and understandably so; today was the day that she would finally be taking her case against Jesse to court. Throughout the year she had been working closely with Aubrey's father, building as strong a case as they could against Jesse's highly qualified lawyer. It was still a long shot, something Mr. Posen continued to remind Beca and Chloe, but they were confident that they had a decent chance. Now that they had come to the day, however, Beca felt as if all her preparation had equaled to sweaty palms and shaky legs, the exact opposite of the confident demeanor she was hoping to display.

Chloe seemed to sense this and she gently turned Beca around, looking directly into her eyes. "You've got this. You know what to say; you know that you're telling the truth. They will too." Beca nodded, pulling Chloe into a tight embrace. "It's going to work out for us. It has to." Chloe told her, ever the optimist.

The two met the rest of the Bellas at the courthouse, walking in like an army going to battle. Telling her friends had been difficult and emotional (there wasn't a dry eye in the room), and they had been nothing short of supportive during the process. She had even formed a close bond with Stacy who, as it turned out, was the 'friend' all along. Though Stacy had dealt with her assault very differently, throwing herself into sexual situations to feel a sense of control, she had been monumental in helping Beca overcome her intimacy issues with Chloe. Beca, in turn, had sparked an interest in Stacy, ultimately causing her to consider a career in victim's counseling, a decision that all of the Bellas supported whole-heartedly.

Court went exactly as Beca had expected, Jesse's attorney immediately calling attention to her less-than-clean record and 'bad attitude'. Beca fought the urge to roll her eyes, and instead delivered the answer that she and Mr. Posen had rehearsed. She stole a glance at the jury as she stepped down from the stand, and immediately knew that the outcome of the case had been decided. It came as no surprise to her when the verdict returned almost immediately, though Chloe was absolutely shocked and devastated.

"What?! How can they do this?" The other Bellas nodded in agreement, Fat Amy and Lilly whispering to each other intensely. Aubrey narrowed her eyes, making a note to talk to them later.

Beca merely shrugged, not nearly as affected as everyone else. "It's okay. Really." She clarified when she saw looks of disbelief from her friends and girlfriend. And it really was okay, at least in Beca's eyes. No, it wasn't fair, but if there was anything that Beca had learned in her life, it was that the world was not fair. Good things didn't always happen to good people and bad people weren't always punished for their crimes. The world was unpredictable like that, but if the world were predictable, then Beca wouldn't be sitting there surrounded by easily the strangest collection of friends to ever grace the Earth. She wouldn't be holding hands with the most beautiful girl in the world, and, frankly, Beca's relationship with Chloe meant more to her than some silly decision made by twelve people who judged her before they got a chance to meet her. Their opinions didn't matter, not in the long run. She was proud of herself for putting up a damn good fight, and not becoming the victim that other people expected her to be. She looked up and her eyes connected with Jesse's.

"I just need to do one thing." She said confidently, smiling when she saw Chloe nod in understanding.

"I'll be here." She said, squeezing her hand before letting her go.

Beca walked up to the defendant's table and stopped directly in front of Jesse. "Looks like I won." He said, looking up at her smugly.

Beca's gaze fell on Chloe as she replied. "No, actually you didn't. I just wanted to tell you that." Beca had no idea then how right she would ultimately be. Soon after the case, Jesse would drop out of Barden, unable to deal with the negative press surrounding him. Years later, she would find out from Benji that Jesse had dug himself into a deep hole of alcoholism and debt, pathetically crashing on their couches because he couldn't make rent.

* * *

Later that night, Beca and Chloe were lying in bed, tight in each other's grasp. Beca stroked Chloe's hair comfortingly, the red head still disappointed at the outcome.

"Beca?" Beca hummed, indicating that she was listening. "How are you really? It's just the two of us now; be honest." Beca thought carefully before replying.

"Free."

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it folks. This story was nothing like I expected it to be, but I hope you guys enjoyed it regardless. Thanks for going on this journey with me! I'll definitely be posting more Pitch Perfect stories in the near future, so keep an eye out for those. Thanks for all the support! It was more than I ever could have imagined. You're all wonderful!**


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